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33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WilSTIR,  N.Y.  )4StO 

(71«)I73-4S03 


/A 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVJ/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


«J 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 

Tho  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
o  i jinai  copy  avaiiabie  for  fiiming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographicaiiy  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significnntly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checiced  below. 

L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquAs  ci-dessous. 

Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couieun 

^.^ 

Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagde 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagtes 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurie  et/ou  pelliculAe 

^^ 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurAes  et/ou  pellicul^es 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

yJ 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d6color6es,  tachetAes  ou  piquies 

U 

Coloured  meps/ 

Cartes  giographiques  en  couleur 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d6tach6es 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  blacit)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  blaue  ou  noirel 

~ 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

—~- 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  inAgaie  de  I'impression 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
ReliA  avec  d'autres  documents 

— 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplAmentaire 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

u 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Adition  disponible 

The 
to  tl 


The 
posi 
of  tl 
film 


Orig 

begi 

thd 

sion 

othe 

first 

sion 

or  ill 


The 
shall 
TINl 
whic 

Map 
diffe 
entir 
begii 
right 
requi 
meth 


D 


La  reliure  serrAe  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  cartaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  Ataiv  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  AtA  filmAes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commantaires  supplAmsntaires; 


0 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partieller\:  «nt 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  4t*  filmies  A  nouveau  de  fapon  i 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmA  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-des&ous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

SOX 

/ 

3 

12X 


16X 


aox 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  her<3  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'exemplaire  film6  fut  reproduit  grSce  d  la 
g6n6rosit6  de: 

Bibliothdque  nationale  du  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6td  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  netteti  de  l'exemplaire  fiimd,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
thd  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim6e  sont  film^s  en  commengant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  fiim6s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — »-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "),  or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END  "). 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film6s  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diff6rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  6tre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  film6  A  partir 
de  I'angle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

8 

6 

"now,  sAUTi,ori,Ai,  i-oK  Ynrn  Mir.,"  riMi;!)  au  h.k.       i'Acjk  82 


*, 


^ir\y.'> 


V  I 


I'ACK  82 


Af 


SA 


I, 


AUTH 


A,. 


.> 


V 


ARCHIE  OF  ATHABASCA 


/ 


BV 


J.  MACDONALD   OXLEY 

Author  of  "  Bert  Lloyd's  Bovhood,"  "  Up  Among  the  Icb  Flobs," 
"The  Chore  Boy  of  Camp  Kippewa,"  Etc. 


M 


BOSTON 

D.    LOTHROP    COMPANY 

'893 


\M 


y 


t  I 


I'  1 


V 


y.  ':>  Y 


"W 


Copyright,  1893, 

BY 

D.  I-^THROH  Company 


^//  ri£:Ais  reserved. 


-ii 


CONTENTS 


I.  Himself  and  his  Home  . 

n.  A  Brush  with  the  Bison 

HI.  The  rival  Establishment 

IV.  Kidnaped 

V.  In  Captivity    . 

VI.  To  the  Rescue 

VII.  Winter  at  Fort  Chipewyan 

VIII.  Fire  and  Famine    . 

IX.  Moose  Hunt    . 

X.  The  Return  in  Triumph 

XI.  Summer  at  Fort  Chipewyan 

XII.  Lessons  not  to  be  forgotten 

XIII.  Expedition  to  Great  Slave  Lake 

XIV.  At  Great  Slave  Lake   . 
XV.  The  Portage  of  the  Drowned 

XVI.  Archie  to  the  Rescue   . 

XVII.  The  End  of  Miles  McDougal 

IVIII.  Archie  Realizes  his  Desires 


I 
i6 

30 
44 
60 

74 
89 

103 

117 
132 

146 

160 

174 
188 

202 

217 

232 

247 


/ 


':  ^m 


I,    y 


I  A> 


t'(i 


I. 


'/ 


eyes 
and  : 


year 
and  ] 
wilde 
A 
was  1 
joy  t< 
any  f 
son  £ 
place 
his  p; 
of  tt 
comn 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


CHAPTER  I. 


H 


HIMSELF   AND   HIS   HOME. 

E  was  but  a  few  years  younger  than  the 
century,  having  first  opened  the  big  gray 
eyes  that  were  afterward  to  see  so  many  strange 
and  stirring  scenes,  in  the  month  of  May,  of  the 
year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  four,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  vast  northern 
wilderness  of  Canada. 

A  remarkable  mingling  of  race  and  character 
was  this  baby  boy,  whose  advent  brought  great 
joy  to  Fort  Chipewyan,  and  upon  whom,  without 
any  formal  baptismal  service  —  for  priest  and  par- 
son alike  were  quite  unknown  in  that  far-away 
place  —  the  name  of  Archibald  was  conferred  by 
his  proud  father,  Mr.  Donald  McKenzie,  an  official 
of  the  great  Northwest  Fur  Company,  and  in 
command  of  the  fort  already  mentioned. 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


/ 


<4i 


'4 


hO 


\i 


ii  ) 


I' 


If  there  is  anything  in  a  name,  one  need  have 
no  difficulty  in  settling  what  nation  little  Archie's 
father  belonged  to  ;  and  you  had  only  to  take  a 
good  look  at  him  to  see  that  his  name  fitted  him 
all  right,  for  he  was  a  Scotchman  in  every  line  of 
his  face  and  turn  of  his  body.  They  called  him 
**  Big  Donald  "  in  the  Northwest,  for  he  stood  full 
six  feet  high,  and  was  so  stout  of  limb,  broad  of 
shoulder  and  deep  of  chest  that  exertion  seemed 
to  fatigue  him  no  more  than  danger  appalled  him. 
He  had  not  a  handsome  face,  but  better  than 
that,  a  transparently  frank,  honest  one,  and  with 
his  shaggy  eyebrows,  heavy  moustache  and  dense 
brown  beard,  from  whose  midst  issued  a  voice  of 
startling  depth  and  volume,  commanded  universal 
respect  among  the  voyageiirs  bois  bruises  (half- 
breeds)  and  Indians  that  formed  the  subjects  of 
his  realm. 

For  the  factor  of  an  important  fort  in  those 
days  held  little  short  of  regal  sway  over  the  men 
that  were  under  him,  and  the  Indians  that  came 
to  barter  their  precious  peltries  for  his  beads, 
and  blankets,  and  kettles,  and  hatchets.  He  was 
responsible  only  to  the  company,  whose  head- 
quarters were  at  Montreal,  thousands  of  miles 
distant,  and,  so  long  as  the  number  of  packs  sent 
yearly  from  his  district  showed  no  falling  off,  he 
could  do  pretty  much  as  he  liked  without  inter- 
ference from  anybody. 

Donald  McKenzie  had  sailed  across  from  Scot- 


land 
in  th 
but  1 
clear 
treal 
who 
Nort 
they 
imag 
script 
minec 
diffici 
pany 
sturdy 
have 
and  tl 
Ham, 
tentere 
be  on 
until 
I  with  { 
I  reputa 
i     As 
^1  down 
Lbetwei 
tains, 
fQu'Ai 
I  posts 
|mense 
lacquai 


HIMSELF    AND    HIS    HOME. 


ed  have 
\rchie*s 
'  take  a 
ted  him 
^  line  of 
led  him 
ood  full 
)road  of 
seemed 
ed  him. 
er  than 
nd  with 
d  dense 
voice  of 
niversal 
\s  (half- 
jects  of 

those 
he  men 
It  came 

beads, 
He  was 
head- 
f  miles 
ks  sent 

off,  he 
t  inter- 
Scot- 


land when  just  out  of  his  teens,  to  make  his  way 
in  the  New  World  as  best  he  might  with  nothing 
but  keen  wits,  strong  hands,  a  brave  heart  and  a 
clear  conscience  to  help  him.  Meeting  in  Mon- 
treal with  a  brother  Scot,  a  few  years  his  senior, 
who  had  been  some  time  in  the  employ  of  the 
Northwest  Fur  Company,  or  "  Nor'westers  "  as 
they  were  generally  called,  and  who  stirred  his 
imagination  and  ambition  alike  by  graphic  de- 
scriptions of  life  with  the  fur  traders,  he  deter- 
mined to  enlist  in  the  same  service.  He  had  no 
difficulty  in  obtaining  an  engagement.  The  com- 
pany was  composed  mainly  of  Scotchmen,  and  so 
sturdy  and  promising  a  fellow-countryman  did  not 
have  to  go  begging.  He  was  accepted  on  sight, 
and  that  same  summer  dispatched  to  Fort  Wil- 
liam, at  the  far  end  of  Lake  Superior,  where  he 
entered  upon  the  life  in  which  his  career  was  to 
be  one  of  thrilling  experience  and  steady  success 
until  the  brown  beard  was  plentifully  streaked 
with  gray,  and  he  could  honorably  retire  rich  in 

^reputation  and  in  purse  also. 

As   junior  clerk  Donald  had   traveled   up   and 
[down   a  large    portion   of    the   wilderness   lying 
^between    Lake   Superior  and   the   Rocky  Moun- 
tains, remaining  for  a  time  at  Fort  Pembina,  Fort 
Qu'Appelle,  Moose  Fort,  and  others  of  the  many 

i posts   scattered   by   the   company  over  this   im- 
mense territory,  until  he  had  become  thoroughly 

i  acquainted  with  the  workings  of  the  fur  trade,  and 


A 


». 


I! 


4  ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 

the  wiles  of  the  Indians,  with  whom  it  was  carried 
on.  Then  he  was  appointed  to  a  permanent  posi- 
tion  at  Fort  Chipewyan  on  the  shore  of  mighty 
Lake  Athabasca,  and,  little  more  than  a  year 
before  Archie  arrived,  had  through  his  sterling 
good  qualities  reached  the  important  and  respon- 
sible position  of  factor  of  the  fort,  so  that  his 
ultimate  promotion  to  a  partnership  in  the  com- 
pany was  only  a  question  of  time. 

When  once  he  could  consider  himself  settled,  it 
might  be  for  a  score  of  years,  he  very  wisely 
looked  about  him  for  a  companion  and  helpmate. 
It  need  hardly  be  explained  that  he  had  a  very 
limited  range  of  choice  in  making  his  selection. 
There  was  no  such  tiling  as  society  in  the  ordi- 
nary sense  of  the  term  at  the  fort.  The  tide  of 
settlement  had  not  yet  touched  those  continuous 
wilds  which  the  two  great  fur  companies  sought 
jealously  to  keep  for  themselves  as  a  fur  preserve, 
but  which  were  destined  to  be  the  home  of  mil- 
lions. Besides  the  employes  of  the  company,  a 
few  enterprising  spirits  who  ventured  to  do  a  little 
trading  and  trapping  on  their  own  account,  and 
the  Indians,  whose  lodges  and  wigwams  were 
scattered  at  wide  intervals  over  the  rolling  plains, 
or  hidden  among  the  depths  of  the  forests,  there 
was  no  other  human  life. 

But  fortune  favored  Donald  McKenzie,  and  sent 
him  a  good  wife,  nevertheless.  He  had  not  been 
long  on  the  lookout  when  there  came  to  the  fort  a 


longi 
eem( 

f    ^^' 
|fean 

pavin 


HIMSELF   AND    HIS    HOME. 


5 


Ls  carried 
ent  posi- 
►f  mighty 
n  a  year 
3  sterling 
d  respon- 
)  that  his 
the  corn- 


settled,  it 
;ry  wisely 
helptnate. 
lad  a  very 
i  selection, 
n  the  ordi- 
The  tide  of 
continuous 
lies  sought 
ir  preserve, 
)me  of  mil- 
company,  a 
0  do  a  little 
:count,  and 
wams   were 
Uing  plains, 
>rests,  there 

:ie,  and  sent 
id  not  been 
:o  the  fort  a 


Jt  hardy  voyageur^  having  with  him  his  wife  and 
-  daughter,  and  no  sooner  had  the  clerk's  eyes 
fallen  upon  the  latter  than  he  said  to  himself  with 
.  an  exultant  chuckle  :  "  Heck  !  Donald,  lad,  but 
she's  a  braw  one.  It's  doing  your  best  to  get  her 
you  must  be,"  and  with  his  customary  prompt- 
ness and  resolution,  he  set  about  the  business 
forthwith. 

Donald's    enthusiasm   was    not    without   good 

cause,  for  Virginie  Latour  possessed  no  ordinary 

share  of  beauty.     Her   father   Jean    Baptiste,  as 

\  was  very  usual  at  that  time,  had  taken  him  to  wife 

I  the  dusky  belle  of  a  Cree  encampment,  and  she 

I  had  borne  him  this  one  child,  in  whose  face  and 

I  form   were  happily  united  the  best    qualities   of 

I  both  parents.     As  fair  of  skin  as  her  father,  she 

■  had  the  regular  features  and  lithe  graceful  figure 

jof  her  mother,  while  in  her  character  were  blended 

Uhe  child-like  buoyancy  of  the  voyageur^  and  the 

« grave  dignity   of    the    Indian.      Arrayed   in    her 

I  picturesque    buckskin    costume,    richly    adorned 

iwith  beads  and  spangles,  and  bearing  herself  as 

proudly  as  though  she  were  a  princess,  Virginie 

would   have   made  a   marked    impression    in  any 

[social   circle,    and   to   the   warm-hearted  Donald, 

longing   for   the   grace   of   feminine  society,  she 

jeemed  a  veritable  vision  of  beauty. 

His  wooing  was  short,  but  satisfactory.  Shrewd 
[ean  Baptiste  fully  recognized  the  advanta<;e  of 
laving  the  head  of  a  fort  for  a  son-in-law,  while 


ARCHIE  OF   ATHABASCA. 


A 


.r1?l 


Virginia  on  her  part  had  not  to  look  long  with  her 
splendid  brown  eyes  upon  **  Big  Donald  "  to  make 
up  her  mind  that  he  was  immeasurably  superior 
to  any  of  the  young  voyageurs  or  bois  bruUes  who, 
in  the  ordinary  course  of  things,  would  most  prob- 
ably be  her  fate. 

So  they  took  each  other  for  better  or  worse  ; 
the  marriage  service,  in  default  of  a  minister,  con- 
sisting simply  of  Donald  acknowledging  Virginie 
to  be  his  wife,  in  the  presence  of  her  parents  and 
of  his  subordinates. 

The  union  proved  to  be  a  very  happy  one  ; 
Donald  grew  increasingly  fond  of  his  wife,  and  if 
Virginie  did  at  times  betray  the  quick  temper  that 
she  got  from  her  father,  or  the  tendency  to  sullen 
sulking  that  came  from  her  mother,  when  she 
could  not  have  her  own  way  about  something, 
why,  the  big  Scotchman  just  thought  to  himself 
that  it  was  the  way  of  women-folk  to  **  gang  a- 
gley  "  now  and  then,  and,  instead  of  giving  back 
hot  words,  closed  his  lips  firmly  over  his  tongue, 
and  went  away.  And  then,  so  sure  as  he  did, 
when,  perhaps,  he  was  sitting  at  his  desk,  poring 
over  his  ledger,  or  consoling  himself  with  a  pipe 
in  a  quiet  corner,  there  would  come  a  gentle  step 
behind  him,  which,  although  his  keen  ears  heard 
it  well,  he  pretended  not  to  notice,  and  presently 
a  little  brown  hand  would  be  laid  upon  his  shoul- 
der, and  a  soft  voice  would  murmur  pleadingly  in 
a  quaint  patois,  half-French,  half-Indian : 


n 


HIMSELF   AND   HIS   HOME. 


yith  her 
to  make 
superior 
ies  who, 
)st  prob- 

•  worse ; 
ter,  con- 
Virginie 
ents  and 

ipy  one ; 
fe,  and  if 
nper  that 
to  sullen 
hen    she 
mething, 
himself 
gang  a- 
ing  back 
5  tongue, 
he  did, 
,  poring 
h  a  pipe 
intle  step 
rs  heard 
resently 
is  shoul- 
ingly  in 


"  Donald,  my  dear,  do  you  love  me  still  ? " 

Then  the  answer  came  quick,  and  left  no  doubt 
as  to  its  sincerity,  and  the  cloud  would  vanish, 
and  all  would  be  sunshine  again  in  the  McKenzie 
household. 
I  It  was  a  proud  and  happy  time  for  both  when 
ti.ey  entered  into  the  dignity  of  parenthood  ;  and 
as  little  Archie  throve  and  developed,  their  joy  in 
him  increased  without  a  shadow  to  mar  it,  for  the 
kind  fairy  that  bestows  good  health  was  not  be- 
hind the  gracious  Giver  of  good  looks,  and  neither 
measles,  whooping-cough,  croup,  mumps,  nor  any 
other  of  the  ordeals  through  which  the  average 
boy  has  to  pass  nowadays,  disturbed  the  serenity 
of  Archie's  cradle. 

By  the  time  he  was  ten  years  old,  he  stood  but 
a  few  inches  short  of  five  feet  in  height,  and  was 
the  very  picture  of  health  and  heartiness.  Three 
different  races  were  represented  in  him,  and  he 
showed  some  of  the  most  striking  traits  of  each. 

The  bright  frank  face,  the  firm  mouth,  the 
steadfast  purpose  were  as  clearly  Scotch  as  the 
J  merry  laugh,  the  love  of  music,  the  fondness  for 
/jdress  were  French,  and  the  piercing  eye,  the  acute 
|ear,  and  the  wild  passion  for  ou*"-door  sports  were 
I  Indian  in  their  source. 

I  In  like  manner  did  he  share  in  some  of  the  fail- 
[ings  of  his  strangely-mixed  parentage,  for  he  could 
[be  as  obstinate  as  any  Scotchman,  as  excitable  as 
[any  Frenchman,  and  as  jealous  as  any  Indian,  and 


8 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


;/ 


1    /"Vi 


I  ; 


>\ 


>! 


altogether  was  a  sort  of  a  boy  that  it  would  have 
sorely  puzzled  the  common  run  of  parents  under 
ordinary  circumstances  to  deal  with,  but  who, 
away  up  at  Fort  Chipewyan,  in  the  midst  of  a  life 
that  was  anything  but  ordinary,  and  with  the  firm 
hand  of  a  father  who  brooked  no  disobedience 
controlling  him,  gave  every  promise  of  growing 
up  into  a  worthy  manhood. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  ere  he  was  quite 
half-way  to  the  ten  years  already  mentioned,  a 
little  sister  appeared  upon  the  scene  to  divide  the 
affection  that  he  had  been  r.onopolizing,  or,  as 
the  saying  is,  to  put  his  nose  out  of  joint ;  and 
our  young  gentleman  resented  this  intrusion  so 
warmly  that  it  positively  was  not  safe  to  leave 
him  alone  with  tiny  Rose-Marie.  He  would 
attack  her  instantly ;  once,  indeed,  he  came  very 
near  ridding  himself  of  his  rival  by  tumbling  her 
cradle  over  on  top  of  her. 

When  he  grew  older,  however,  his  childish  dis- 
like disappeared,  and  he  became  as  fond  of  his 
sister,  who  was  just  a  comical  little  copy  of  her 
mother,  as  he  had  been  jealous  of  her ;  playing 
happily  with  her  all  day  long,  and  taking  such 
good  care  of  the  wee  one  as  to  prove  a  real  help 
to  Mrs.  McKenzie. 

And  now  it  is  full  time  to  tell  something  about 
the  home  in  which  these  young  folks  were  growing 
up.  Fort  Chipewyan  still  exists,  and  to  find  it 
you  must  take  a  good  map  of  the  Dominion  of 


JO 


z 


mid  have 
nts  under 
but  who, 
t  of  a  life 
1  the  firm 
obedience 
f  growing 

;  was  quite 
;ntioned,  a 
divide  the 
;ing,  or,  as 
joint ;  and 
ntrusion  so 
fe  to  leave 
He   would 
came  very 
mbling  her 

Ihildish  dis- 
Eond  of  his 
:opy  of  her 
;r ;  playing 
taking  such 
a  real  help 

kthing  about 

|ere  growing 

to  find  it 

lominion  oi 


y. 


; 


<6 


iCanj 


HIMSELF    AND    HIS    HOME. 


Canada,  and  look  right  into  the  heart  of  the  vast 
egion  called  the  Northwest  Territories.  There 
ou  will  not'ce  an  immense  lake  bearing  the 
ndian  name  of  Athabasca,  and  at  the  south- 
estern  end  of  this  lake,  occupying  a  command- 
ng  position  upon  a  promontory  that  juts  out  from 
he  northern  shore  into  the  cold  blue  water  is 
jthe  fort,  which  has  been  for  nearly  one  hundred 
years  one  of  the  most  important  centers  of  the  fur 
trade. 

To  the  traveler  approaching  it,  after  having 
%een  for  weeks  accustomed  to  nothing  bigger 
than  a  wigwam,  the  fort  presented  a  very  impos- 
ing appearance.  First  of  all,  there  was  a  palisade 
lof  huge  pickets  with  sharpened  points  whose 
^wenty  feet  of  height  made  it  impossible  to  scale 
fwithout  ladders.  This  stood  in  the  form  of  a 
Isquare,  the  sides  of  which  were  not  less  than  one 
undred  yards  in  length.  At  each  corner  frowned 
bastion  marked  with  loop-holes  for  m'uskets,  while 
bove  the  gates,  of  which  there  were  two,  one  fac- 
ing the  lake,  and  the  other  the  land,  rose  lofty 
llookout  towers  that  enabled  the  sentinels  upon 
.them  to  see  everything  within  the  radius  of  many 
iles. 

Inside  the  square,  and  arranged  so  as  to  make 
he  best  of  the  space  at   hand,  were  ranged  the 
uildings  which  housed  the  factor  and  his  family, 
he  two  clerks  who  assisted  him,  the  postmaster, 
interpreters   and    voyageurs  and   other  employes. 


10 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


■  ^\ 


and  finally  the  store  and  warehouses,  all  built  in 
the  strongest  manner  of  logs,  and  looking  very 
rough,  but  very  solid.  In  front  of  the  factor's 
house  stood  a  flag-pole  from  which,  on  especial 
occasions,  the  flag  of  old  England  would  flaunt 
upon  the  breeze. 

In  mid  winter,  when  all  hands  were  at  home,  the 
garrison  of  the  fort  comprised  some  fifty  men; 
Scotch,  French  and  half-breeds  —  many  of  them 
with  families  ;  and  to  keep  all  these  in  good  be- 
havior, seeing  how  apt  they  were  to  proceed  from 
argument  to  blows,  when  they  had  nothing  else  to 
do,  required  no  small  address  and  determination 
on  the  part  of  the  factor.  But  so  firm  and  just  a 
hand  did  he  keep  over  them,  that  there  was  not 
a  better  ordered  post  in  the  country  than  Chipe- 
wyan,  nor  one  whose  chief  was  in  better  favor. 

Not  only  because  he  was  the  factor's  son,  and 
it  was,  therefore,  good  policy,  but  because  they  all 
liked  him  for  himself,  the  men  made  very  much 
of  Archie,  and  did  their  best  to  spoil  him.  He 
was  always  eager  to  be  in  their  company,  and  his 
father,  intending  as  he  did  that  he  should  follow 
in  his  footsteps,  put  no  restraint  upon  him,  for  the 
earlier  he  began  to  learn  the  life  of  a  fur  trader, 
the  more  thoroughly  would  he  master  it. 

The  consequence  was  that  at  an  age  when  the 
ordinary  city  boy  would  be  thought  a  wonder  if 
he  could  catch  a  ball  fairly  well,  or  ride  a  pony 
without  falling  off,  this  child  of  the  wilderness 


could 
Iquiri 
a  can 
No 
lectec 
younf 
Cred 


iph  1 


"■""^•« 


HIMSELF    AND    HIS    HOME. 


II 


11  built  in 
king  very 
e  factor's 
n  especial 
uld  Haunt 

home,  the 
fifty  men; 
y  of  them 
1  good  be- 
ceed  from 
ing  else  to 
ermination 
and  just  a 
e  was  not 
an  Chipe- 
favor, 
son,  and 
se  they  all 
^ery  much 
him.     He 
r,  and  his 
uld  follow 
m,  for  the 
fur  trader, 

when  the 

wonder  if 

le  a  pony 

ilderness 


could  swim  like  a  duck,  ride  like  an  Indian,  hit  a 
iquirrcl  with  an  arrow  at  thirty  yards,  and  paddle 
a  canoe  like  a  voyageur, 

\  Nor  had  his  education  in  other  ways  been  neg- 
fected.  His  father  had  been  a  good  scholar  in  his 
young  days,  and  among  the  treasures  he  had  gath- 
ered about  him  since  coming  into  the  Northwest 
were  a  number  of  volumes  of  fiction,  poetry,  his- 
tory, science  and  theolog),  which  were  a  source  of 
never-failing  pleasure  to  him,  and  the  contents  of 
Irhich  he  took  delight  in  imparting  to  Archie, 
l|^ho  proved  an  apt  scholar,  being  able  to  read  well 
when  but  eight  years  old,  and  enjoying  very  much 
t)is  father's  enthusiastic  teaching. 
j  For  this  schooling  there  was  plenty  of  time  in 
^e  long  cold  winters,  when  the  factor  spent  most 
his  days  in  the  bosom  of  his  family,  and  when 

metimes  for  a  whole  week  no  one  who  could 
iossibly  help  it  would  think  of  venturing  out  of 
ioors,  so  intense  would  be  the  cold,  and  so  fierce 
i|ie  gales  that  blew  about  Chipewyan.  Then  would 
pe  trappers  and  voyageurs  gather  about  the  roar- 
^g  fires  and   while  away  the  hours  in  thrilling 

les  of  hair-breadth  escapes,  and  mighty  exploits 
which  the  Indian,  the  bear,  the  buffalo  and  the 

k  always  got  the  worst  of  it  in  the  end,  and 

hich  made  Archie's  blood  bound  in  his  veins  as 
longed   for  the  day  whei    he  could  take  his 

ace  among  these  heroes,  and   endure  and   tri- 
iph  with  them. 


''H 


1:2 


AUrmi'    UK    ATllAMASi  A. 


,\ 


**  O,  falluM  !  wlirn  will  I  I>p  hit;  rnnn:',li  (n  |mi 
with  von?**  ho  oxrlniniod  Inn};in}'Jv,  ono  »l;iy,  us 
thr  iiu(t>!  \VM3  aliotit  R(Mlin^  inilh  on  ono  <»!  Iiis 
jo\nnovs  '\\\  (picst  of  Imliiin  OMinp.q  whoro  Inr; 
nii^ht  l>o  fonntl. 

"  Whon  will  yon  ho  hi^;  onon^;h,  Aichio  ?  Wrll, 
\v{  \\)C  i^Ci\**  lospotnh^tl  his  ialhoi  wilh  ;\  sniih' ;  iwu] 
thtM\,  ;\i(or  a  p;uiso,  "  1  thitik  I  nii[;ht  vonlmo  ti^ 
tnko  vou  whon  yon  mo  !\l>onl  hi  toon." 

"  I'^itloon,  lathor  ?  Oh  I  that's  ovor  so  far  ofl." 
orio*!  Auhio  »U)lolnlly.  "  Won't  yon  tako  iik 
hohno  that  ? " 

"  Not  on  a  \ou^  dip  liko  this  ono,  lad^Ho,"  an 
sworoil  l\lr.  l\lv'Rcn/io,  in  a  kin«l.  hnt  fn  ni  torn 
'•  Vv>u  wonhl  only  he  in  o»n  wav,  yoii  know,  ainl 
that  \vv>nhln*t   ho  ploasant." 

Aivhic  (Vid  not  rolish  iho  lolloolion  inipliod  in 
his  hoinj;-  in  the  way,  ntul  w'onhi  have  liked  Ic 
arj;uc  the  point  at  loni;th,  hnt  his  father  was  ton 
bnsv  to  listen  to  him  then,  and  he  had  to  content 
himself  with  nuittering  : 

*•  I'm  very  snre  I  wouldn't  he  in  their  way 
Whv  couldn't  I  take  care  of  myself,  I'd  like  tf 
know  ?  " 

However,  there  was  nothinj;*  to  do  hut  to  siil> 
mit,  for  his  mother,  who  loved  her  children  sf 
passionately  that  she  was  never  content  to  liav{ 
them  out  of  her  sight,  would  give  him  lio  support 
he  knew%  and  he  must  only  await  his  father's 
pleasure  in  the  matter. 


""^m^ 


MIMSKI.r    AND    \\\^    IIOMR. 


'3 


no  (lny,  ;«« 
t)no  ni   lii'; 

no?  Wrll, 
Rinilo  ;  ;n)tl 
vnitmo  tc 

so  f;ir  ofl." 

II      tiVko      IIK 

liuMic,"  Mil 

luin  t«)ii( 

I  know,  Mini 

\  implied  ill 

vc   liked   li 

icr  was  tdi 

to  con  I  cut 

llicir  w;iy 
IM   like  t( 

but  to  sub 
children  sf 

;ent  to  liavf 
liO  support 

his    father's 


Mill    while  waiting  he  cotdd   he   prrpnrin^,   and 

♦  onr  of  the  inof^l  iinpoilan*  a(  eomfilishtnents  hein^ 

the  nianajMMncnl    o(    a  (  anoe,  he  ronsolcd    IdrnRelf 

by  paddling  ahont    in   his  own   Htth:  heaiity,  made 

espe(  ially    lor    hifn    hy  one  of    the    Indians    who 

^  wished  to  hnd  favor  in  the  eyes  (;f  the  factor. 

It  was  one  (»f  the  h)veliest  <lays  of  the  all  too 
short  snimner  that  ( f»mes  to  Athabasca,  anfl  the 
Inke  I(»oked  its  best  as  it  stretched  away  from  the 
foot  of  the  fort,  a  vast  expanse  of  dimpled  blue. 
Archie  had  been  but  a  few  minutes  in  the  canoe, 
and  was  not  far  from  land,  when  who  should  come 

s 

frunnini;  down  to  the  beach   but  little  Rosc-Maric, 

"i 

Pno   hood   upon  her  curly  head,  nor  moccasins  on 

if 

|her  chubby  feet,  as  she  scampered  toward  Archie, 
jcallin^  out  eagerly  : 

"Archie,  Archie!  lake  rne,  wof)'t  yf>u  ?  " 
Archie's  hrst  impulse  was  to  refuse  her,  on  the 
isamc  ground  as  his  father  a  little  while  before  had 
Irefused  him,  namely,  that  she  wouhl  only  be  in 
ithe  way.  Hut  before  he  s{)okc  his  mind  changed. 
lit  was  against  tl^c  rules  for  him  to  take  Kosc- 
aric  out  in  his  canoe.  Mrs.  McKcnzic  did  not 
onsidcr  he  could  yet  be  trusted  alone  with  so 
recious  a  passenger,  and  hitherto  her  orders 
pon  that  point  had  been  obeyed. 
But  this  morning  Archie  was  just  in  the  mood 
o  be  disobedient.  He  felt  very  much  put  out  at 
hat  his  father  had  said  to  him,  and  when  Rose- 
aric,  with   her   toes  touching  the  edge   of   the 


I 


14 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


1/ 


<^. 


A 


water,  stretched  out  her  arms  beseechingly,  and 
repeated  her  request  to  be  taken  in,  the  thought 
flashed  into  Archie's  mind : 

"  I'll  show  them  that  I  can  manage  a  canoe," 
and  turning  toward  the  shore  he  called  out : 

"  All  right.  Rose  ;  I'll  take  you." 

Rose-Marie  clapped  her  hands  for  joy,  and 
eagerly  awaited  his  approach. 

"  Take  care  now,  Rose ;  climb  in  and  sit  right 
down,"  cautioned  Archie ;  and  in  another  moment 
the  little  girl  was  sitting  demurely  in  the  bottom 
of  the  canoe.  With  a  half-reckless,  half-repentant 
feeling  Archie  paddled  off,  his  little  passenger 
beaming  upon  him  delightedly  as  the  canoe  glided 
through  the  ripples  which  made  soft  music  against 
her  birchen  sides.  His  intention  was  to  go  out  to 
an  island  that  lifted  its  head  from  the  water  about 
half  a  mile  away,  and  to  land  there  for  a  while,  as 
it  was  a  great  place  for  the  berry  that  the  Indians 
called  tawqtioy  meenUf  but  which  we  know  as  the 
choke-cherry. 

Rose-Marie  kept  as  still  as  a  mouse,  although 
her  tongue  wagged  merrily,  and  Archie's  steady 
paddling  soon  brought  the  canoe  to  the  island, 
where  he  ran  her  gently  up  on  the  beach,  and 
they  got  out  to  hunt  for  the  choke-cherries. 
Their  search  was  successful,  and  when  they  had 
enough  Archie  broke  off  a  big  branch  laden  with 
the  red  beads  to  take  back  to  their  mother,  and 
they  returned  to  the  canoe. 


"^ 


HIMSELF   AND   HIS   HOME. 


15 


ngly,  and 
;  thought 

a  canoe," 
lut : 

joy,   and 

sit  right 
r  moment 
le  bottom 
■repentant 
passenger 
loe  glided 
sic  against 

go  out  to 
ater  about 
I  while,  as 
le  Indians 

ow  as  the 


By  this  time  Rose-Marie  was  getting  tired  and 
restless,  and  Archie  had  more  than  once  to 
caution  sharply : 

*'  Be  still  there,  Rose,  will  you  ?  You'll  upset 
the  canoe  if  you  don't." 

But  Rose  was  not  in  the  humor  to  obey.     She 

wriggled  and  squirmed  about  in  a  way  that  made 

Archie  both  cross  and  nervous.     At  length,  when 

they  were  not  more  than  half-way  home,  the  little 

witch  caught  sight  of  a  dead  fish  gleaming  white 

on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  exclaiming  : 

^      "  O,  Archie  !  I've  got  a  fish,"  made  a  sudden 

J  grasp  at  it.     As  quick  as  a  flash  Archie  sprang 

<  forward  to  stop  her,  but  he  was  too  late.     She 

I  had  reached  far  over  the  side,  and  when  he  moved 

■  i  ' 

I  the  cranky  canoe  was  overbalanced,  and  the  next 
I  instant  they  were  both  plunged  headlong  into  the 
I  deep  cold  water. 


,  although 
e's  steady 
le  island, 
each,  and 
e-cherries. 
they  had 
aden  with 
Dther,  and 


CHAPTER   II. 


m 


A    BRUSH    WITH    THE    BISON. 

ARCHIE'S  first  feeling  was  one  of  terror  and 
wild  anxiety  to  save  his  own  life.  But  so 
soon  as  he  had  risen  to  the  surface,  and  cleared 
the  water  from  his  eyes,  he  thought  of  his  sister. 
Fortunately  they  had  fallen  close  together,  and  at 
once  he  saw  her  struggling  frantically  not  a  yard 
away.  Two  eager  strokes  brought  him  to  her, 
and  catching  her  by  the  arm  he  shoved  her 
toward  the  canoe,  crying  out : 

**  Take  hold  of  the  canoe,  Rose,  quick  !  " 

Rose-Marie  put  out  her  little  hands,  more 
by  instinct  than  by  understanding,  and  happily 
caught  a  good  grip  of  the  bow  of  the  canoe,  to 
which  she  clung  desperately. 

Archie  came  close  beside  her,  and  sought  to 
cheer  her  by  saying  bravely  : 

"  Don't  be  frightened.  Rose  darling.     We'll  be 

all  right  soon." 

Poor  little   Rose,  all  the   color  fled  from   her 

i6 


A    BRUSH    WITH    THE    BISON. 


17 


error  and 
But  so 
d  cleared 
his  sister, 
pr,  and  at 
)t  a  yard 
1  to  her, 
)ved    her 


M 


ds,  more 
happily 
canoe,  to 

ought  to 

We'll  be 

rom   her 


Iplump   cheeks,    her    curly   hair    clinging    lankly 

about  her  neck,  and  her  heart  beating  as  though 

it   wanted   to   break    loose,  made  no  attempt   to 

(answer  him,  but  clung  tightly  to  the  canoe,  which 

just  served  to  keep  her  head  above  the  water. 

It  was  well  enough  for  Archie  to  say  that  they 
would  be  all  right  soon,  but  there  certainly  did 
not  seem  much  ground  for  his  confidence.  They 
were  at  least  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore, 
and  even  could  little  Rose  have  held  on  so  long, 
it  was  not  at  all  possible  for  Archie  to  push  the 
canoe  to  land,  while  to  get  back  into  it  was  no 
less  out  of  the  question.  Unhappily,  too,  there 
was  no  one  in  sight  at  the  fort,  and  his  shrill  cries 
^for  rescue  got  no  response,  save  from  the  mocking 
echoes. 

Although  it  was  midsummer,  the  water  was  too 
fcold  to  be  long  endured.  A  few  moments  more, 
and  the  McKcnzie  household  would  have  been 
|made  desolate,  when  Providence,  in  the  guise  of 
a  brown  Indian,  intervened.  Old  Akaitchko  had 
I  been  paying  a  visit  to  his  nets  at  Whitefish  Point 
Ithat  morning,  and  was  returning  with  a  full  fare 
|and  in  high  good  humor,  when  his  keen  eyes 
^aught  sight  of  the  overturned  canoe,  and  the 
Inext  moment  Archie's  cry  fell  upon  his  ear.  In- 
fstantly  the  old  man  bowed  over  his  paddle  until  it 
jbcnt  like  a  bow  in  his  hands,  and  the  canoe,  laden 
s  it  was,  leaped  over  the  water  as  though  it 
[shared  its  master's  casrerness. 


i8 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


iM 


**  I  come  — I  come  !  "  he  shouted  at  the  top  of 
his  voice,  and  drove  the  paddle  still  deeper  in  the 
water. 

Archie  heard  his  shout  just  in  time,  for  he  was 
fast  losing  strength,  and  could  hardly  have  held 
on  a  moment  longer.  Putting  his  arm  about  Rose- 
Marie  he  cried  : 

**  Hurrah  !     Akaitchko's  coming  to  us." 

But  the  girl  did  not  answer,  for  she  had  fainted, 
and  only  his  grasp  prevented  her  from  sinking. 
The  next  moment  the  Indian's  canoe  shot  up  to 
them,  and  bending  skillfully  over,  the  strong  old 
man  lifted  poor  little  Rose  in  beside  him,  saying 
in  his  own  tongue  : 

"  You  next,  Archie." 

Relieved  of  his  burden,  Archie  let  go  of  his  own 
canoe,  and  caught  hold  of  the  other,  into  which, 
with  the  assistance  of  Akaitchko,  he  presently 
clambered,  and  dropped  exhausted  on  the  bottom. 

The  Indian  gave  a  grunt  of  approval  which 
spoke  volumes,  and  then  resuming  his  paddle, 
plied  it  with  a  vigor  that  soon  brought  them  to 
the  beach,  where,  without  a  word  to  Archie,  whom 
he  evidently  deemed  quite  able  to  look  after  him- 
self, he  picked  up  the  still  insensible  girl  as  though 
she  were  a  little  baby,  and  hastened  to  the  fort, 
Archie  following  behind  at  a  much  slower  pace, 
and  already  beginning  to  wonder  what  conse- 
quence his  act  of  disobedience  would  entail. 

As  it  turned  out  he  came  off  scathless,  for  his 


A    BRUSH    WITH    THE   BISON. 


19 


he  top  of 
)er  in  the 

)r  he  was 
lave  held 
out  Rose- 


It 


d  fainted, 
1  sinking, 
hot  up  to 
itrong  old 
im,  saying 

3f  his  own 
ito  which, 
presently 
e  bottom, 
^al   which 
paddle, 
them  to 
lie,  whom 
after  him- 
as  though 
the  fort, 
wer  pace, 
at   conac- 
;ail. 
3S,  for  his 


father,  who  could  punish  soundly  enough  when  he 
thought  the  occasion  required  it,  was  away,  and 
his  mother  was  too  rejoiced  at  the  escape  of  her 
darling  Rose-Marie  to  think  of  doing  any  more 
than  enjoining  solemnly  upon  Archie  never  to 
take  his  sister  out  canoeing  again  until  he  should 
have  permission  from  her. 

Of  course  old  Akaitchko  came  in  for  Mrs. 
McKenzie's  warmest  gratitude,  receiving  as  a  re- 
ward such  a  supply  of  tea  and  tobacco  as  he  had 
never  had  in  his  life  before,  and  the  assurance 
moreover  that  he  need  never  go  with  empty  pan- 
nikin or  pipe  so  long  as  she  was  at  hand  to  fill 
them  for  him.  Whereat  the  old  man  felt  that  he 
had  nothing  more  to  ask  for. 

Little  Rose-Marie  was  none  the  worse  for  her 
adventure,  not  even  taking  a  cold,  thanks  to  her 
vigorous  constitution,  developed  by  constant  out- 
door life,  so  that  in  the  end  there  was  nothing  to 
be  sorry  for  but  the  act  of  disobedience  which 
might  have  had  such  dreadful  consequences. 

Life  at  the  fort  in  midsummer  was  apt  to  be 
very  quiet  and  uneventful.  Mr.  McKenzie  and 
the  majority  of  his  men  would  be  absent  either 
taking  the  furs  as  far  down  as  Lac  a  la  Crosse  on 
their  long  journey  to  Montreal,  or  bringing  back 
the  supplies  of  goods  and  provisions  which  were 
sent  up  to  meet  them  ;  or  when  this  was  all  over 
they  would  be  away  out  upon  the  prairies  hunting 
the  bison,  moose  and  deer,  whose  juicy  meat  dried 


20 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


in  the  sun,  and  then  pounded  into  shreds  and 
mixed  with  melted  fat,  would  be  packed  into  great 
bags  of  skin,  and  under  the  name  of  pemmican, 
form  the  principal  item  of  food  during  the  long 
winter  months  when  neither  bison  nor  deer  were 
to  be  had.  So  that  Archie  saw  but  little  of  his 
father  at  the  very  time  when  he  would  have  liked 
most  to  be  with  him,  and  this  made  him  all  the 
more  impatient  to  be  permitted  to  accompany  him 
on  his  expeditions. 

His  delight,  then,  may  be  imagined  when  one 
morning  of  the  following  summer  after  that  in 
which  the  canoeing  incident  occurred,  Mr.  Mc- 
Kenzie,  who  had  arranged  for  a  trip  in  quest  of 
bison  over  the  plains  of  the  Peace  River,  having 
received  the  usual  petition  from  his  son,  instead 
of  dismissing  it  at  once,  hesitated  in  replying, 
hummed  and  hawed,  looked  at  the  sturdy  little 
chap  from  head  to  foot,  and  then,  as  if  unable  to 
withstand  the  arguments  expressed  in  his  flushed 
face,  eager  eyes  and  trembling  lip,  said  in  the  tone 
of  a  man  who  thought  he  should  not  give  way,  but 
really  could  not  help  it : 

"Very  well,  then,  laddie;  you  may  come  this 
time,  but,  mind  you,  you  must  not  get  into  any 
mischief." 

Preparations  of  quite  an  imposing  character 
were  made  for  this  hunt,  the  Indians  who  had 
been  charged  to  report  the  appearance  of  the 
bison  having  brought  in  word  that  two  immense 


<( 


he  ha^ 
his  ha 


A    BRUSH    WITH    THE    BISON. 


21 


;ds  and 
0  great 
fimican, 
le  long 
er  were 
;  of  his 
vc  liked 
all  the 
my  him 

len  one 

that    in 

\Ar.  Mc- 

juest  of 

,  having 

instead 

eplying, 

ly  little 

lable  to 

flushed 

he  tone 

^ay,  but 

nc   this 
ito  any 

laracter 

ho  had 

of   the 

mmense 


herds  were  to  be  found  not  far  apart,  and  about 
one  hundred  miles  to  the  southwest.  This  was 
just  the  opportunity  the  factor  desired  to  lay  in  a 
stock  of  meat,  out  of  which  to  manufacture  the 
indispensable  pemmican,  and  so  every  man  and 
horse  that  could  be  spared  from  the  fort  was 
ordered  out  for  active  service. 

Everybody  was  in  high  good  humor,  the  Indians 
and  half-breeds  hugging  themselves  with  delight 
at  the  prospect  of  unlimited  gorging  of  juicy 
tongue  and  unctuous  humps,  the  white  men  f  of 
pleasurable  anticipation  of  a  lively  hunt,  and  the 
very  horses  and  dogs  eager  for  the  chase,  while 
most  excited  of  all  was  Archie,  now  a  big  boy  of 
fourteen,  and  thinking  himself  equal  to  anything. 

"  Of  course  I'll  take  my  gun,  father,"  said  he, 
bringing  in  an  excellent  little  musket  that  the 
factor  had  procured  especially  for  him,  and  which 
he  had  now  cleaned  and  polished  until  it  shone  in 
his  hands. 

"Do  you  think  you  can  do  better  with  that  than 
with  your  bow  and  arrow,  Archie  t  "  asked  Mr. 
McKenzie  quizzingly. 

"  I  don't  think,  father,  I  know,"  replied  Archie 
proudly.  "  Can't  I  hit  the  bull's  eye  two  times 
out  of  three  at  sixty  paces  } "  he  added,  with  a 
tone  of  reproach  in  his  voice. 

"  Can  you  indeed,  my  boy  ? "  exclaimed  Mr. 
McKenzie.  "Well,  I'm  sure  that's  not  bad  shoot- 
ing; and  you  ought  to  secure  us  a  good  fat  buffalo 


22 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


!    ( 


calf  at  least,  if  you  can  do  as  well  as  that.  Don't 
you  think  so  ?*' 

"I'll  do  my  best,  father,"  answered  Archie; 
"and  I'll  be  very  much  disappointed  if  I  don't  do 
that  much  for  you,  at  any  rate.*' 

The  following  morning,  bright  and  early,  the 
expedition  set  forth  from  the  fort,  Mrs.  McKenzic 
and  Rose-Marie  acconipanymg  it  to  the  gate,  and 
then  climbing  up  into  one  of  the  towers,  and 
watching  its  progress  until  it  was  lost  in  the 
distance. 

There  were  twenty-five  men  all  told,  and  nearly 
twice  as  many  horses,  for  they  hoped  to  bring 
back  with  them  a  great  quantity  of  meat.  13esides 
Mr.  McKenzie  there  were  Ferdinand  Wentzel,  his 
right-hand  man,  a  Norwegian,  and  a  most  trust- 
worthy excellent  clerk,  who  had  been  in  the 
employ  of  the  company  almost  as  long  as  his 
chief;  Colin  Robertson,  a  junior  clerk,  a  red- 
haired,  freckle-faced,  hot-tempered,  but  brave  and 
energetic,  young  Scotchman,  and  Alex  MacGill- 
vray,  another  Scotchman,  though  of  a  quite  differ- 
ent nature,  being  quiet,  reserved  and  cool,  yet 
no  less  courageous  than  Colin. 

These  men,  with  John  Stewart,  a  Canadian, 
composed  the  factor's  staff  of  assistants  at  Fort 
Chipewyan,  and  the  latter  had  been  left  in  com- 
mand of  the  little  garrison  which  would  hold  the 
fort  until  the  return  of  the  expedition. 

The  remainder  of  the  party  consisted  of  Cana- 


A    BRUSH    WWII    THE    BISON. 


23 


Archie ; 
don't  do 

irly,  the 
cKcnzic 
ate,  and 
Lirs,  and 
in  the 

d  nearly 
o  brinjj 
Besides 
tzel,  his 
3t  trust- 
in  the 
as  his 
a  red- 
ive  and 
^acGill- 
e  differ- 
Dol,  yet 

nadian, 
It  Fort 
n  coni- 
old  the 

;  Cana- 


t 


■J 


1 


dians  and  Indir,  is,  in  about  equal  numbers,  accom- 
panied by  a  wonderful  collection  of  doj^s,  of  all 
sorts  and  sizes,  that  ran  about  among  the  horses, 
harkin.!:;  noisily  by  way  of  cxpressinr^  their  interest 
in  the  undertaking.  The  party  was  in  light  march- 
ing order,  as  it  was  intended  to  lose  no  time  upon 
the  way,  either  going  or  coming.  The  bison  must 
be  reached  as  soon  as  possible,  and  then  after  the 
hunt  was  over  the  sooner  they  got  back  to  the 
fort  with  the  results,  the  better  would  be  the 
pemmican. 

Archie  was  well  mounted,  his  steed  being  a 
pretty  piebald  mustang  his  father  had  given  him 
the  year  before,  having  just  made  sure  that  it  was 
well  broken  in  and  of  a  trustworthy  temper.  It 
was  a  speedy,  enduring  animal,  and  while  on  its 
back  Archie  need  not  fear  being  left  behind  by 
any  of  the  others.  He  rode  along  beside  his 
father,  who  was  mounted  upon  a  splendid  black 
stallion  of  unusual  size,  whose  impatient  spirit  he 
kept  in  check  by  means  of  a  powerful  Spanish 
curb  that  no  horse  could  resist. 

"  You'll  have  to  keep  your  wits  well  about  you, 
Archie,  when  we  sight  the  buffalo.  It'll  be  every 
one  for  himself,  and  Auld  Reekie  take  the  hind- 
most, you  know,"  said  the  factor,  smiling  proudly 
down  upon  the  boy  at  his  stirrups. 

**  I'm  sure  I  don't  care,  father,"  answered 
Archie  firmly.  "  If  Spot  and  I  cannot  keep  out 
of  the  way,  why,  we're  only  fit  to  be  run  over, 


24 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


\\l 


aren't  we,  Spot  ? "   and  he  patted  the  mustang's 
neck  fondly. 

"But  look  here,  now,  Arch.  Do  you  seriously 
imagine  that  you  are  going  to  kill  a  buffalo  your- 
self with  that  plaything  ?  "  asked  Mr.  McKenzie 
in  a  bantering  tone,  pointing  at  the  musket  which 
hung  from  the  boy's  shoulder. 

"The  color  mounted  into  Archie's  face,  and  his 
eyes  flashed  for  a  moment  in  a  way  that  suggested 
a  hasty  answer,  but  controlling  himself  by  an 
effort  that  was  not  lost  upon  his  questioner,  he 
replied  respectfully: 

"  Well,  father,  if  you  had  only  seen  how  I  killed 
that  carcajou  over  at  Beaver  Creek  the  other  day 
when  you  were  away,  you  wouldn't  laugh  at  my 
gun.  It  isn't  very  big,  but  it  can  shoot  straight, 
and  pretty  far,  too ;  can't  it,  Mr.  Wentzel  ?  '*  ap- 
pealing to  the  Norwegian,  his  especial  friend 
among  the  employes,  who  happened  to  ride  up  at 
that  moment. 

"  There's  no  doubt  but  that  it  can  do  good  v  ork 
in  your  hands,  Archie,"  responded  Wentzel. 

"And  don't  you  believe  I  could  kill  a  buffalo 
with  it .?  "  asked  the  boy  eagerly. 

"  Certainly  you  could,  if  you  were  lucky  enough 
to  hit  him  in  the  right  place,"  said  Wentzel. 

"  The  proof  of  the  pudding  is  in  the  eating, 
Archie,"  broke  in  Mr.  McKenzie ;  "and  all  I  hope 
is  that  you  may  have  the  best  possible  chance  to 
show  what  you  can  do  with  your  popgun." 


(( 


A   BRUSH    WITH    THE    BISON. 


25 


iistang's 

eriously 
lo  your-  I 
cKenzie 
;t  which 

and  his 
iggested 
:  by  an 
)ner,  he  1 

I  killed 
her  day  | 
1  at  my 
straight,  | 
j1  ? "  ap. 
friend 
le  up  at 

od  V  ork  I 
1. 
buffalo 

enough 

11. 

eating, 

I  hope 

ance  to 


Archie  was  just  ready  to  speak  warmly  in  de- 
fense of  his  firearm,  when  one  of  the  Indians  rode 
up  with  a  communication  to  make  which  claimed 
his  father's  attention,  and  he  had  to  content  him- 
self by  saying  to  the  Norwegian  with  a  touch  of 
indignation  in  his  voice  : 

"  Popgun,  to  be  sure  !  It's  no  popgun,  ir  it, 
Mr.  Wentzel?" 

To  which  Wentzel  replied,  "  No  indeed,  Archie." 

By  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  they  had 
reached  the  locality  indicated  by  the  Indians  as 
that  where  the  bison  were  to  be  found,  and  the 
expedition  moved  forward  with  the  greatest  care, 
sending  out  scouts  in  all  directions  lest  they 
should  come  suddenly  upon  the  herd,  and  stam- 
pede it  before  they  were  ready  to  deal  with  it. 
They  made  no  fires  in  the  camps  that  night,  but 
stayed  their  hunger  with  cold  victuals,  and  the 
following  morning  everybody  was  astir  at  day- 
break, and  impatient  for  the  fray. 

They  were  entering  upon  a  beautiful  country. 
Away  before  them,  until  they  seemed  to  touch  the 
horizon,  undulated  the  great  plains  of  the  Peace 
River,  covered  with  bunches  of  the  rich  thick  grass 
that  forms  the  bison's  favorite  food,  and  inter- 
sected at  wide  intervals  by  shallow  valleys  along 
whose  bottom  ran  lazy  little  tributaries  of  the 
Peace.  The  weather  was  perfect,  and  there  was 
every  reason  to  expect  a  successfu  hunt.  Before 
they  left  camp  there  were  some  black  dots  to  be 


26 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


h« 


made  out  toward  the  south,  which  were  probably 
out-posts  of  the  herd,  and  toward  these  the  hunters 
difected  their  way,  spreading  out  into  a  long  line, 
and  together  moving  as  steadily  forward  as  the 
nature  of  the  country  permitted. 

Far  in  advance  of  the  others  were  old  Akaitchko 
and  another  Indian,  whose  ve^y  appropriate  name 
when  translated  was  Long  Legs,  the  two  most  ex- 
perienced hunters  in  the  country,  and  these  two 
the  others  anxiously  watched  for  the  signal  which 
would  mean  that  the  bison  were  in  sight.  Up 
one  slope  and  down  another,  across  narrow  cou- 
lees and  broad  intervales,  splashing  through  the 
streams  that  now  had  shrunk  to  half  their  size, 
and  avoiding  the  mud-holes  in  which  their  horses 
might  have  stuck  fast,  the  line  of  attack  moved 
steadily  forward,  every  man  holding  his  gun  across 
his  saddle  before  him,  ready  for  instant  use. 

Archie,  who  rode  at  his  father's  left,  trembled 
so  visibly  with  suppressed  excitement  that  the 
factor  became  concerned  lest  his  gun  should  go 
off  accidentally,  and  give  a  premature  alarm. 

"  Keep  cool,  my  lad,  keep  cool,"  said  he.  "  If 
your  poi)gun  goes  off  before  it  ought  to,  it  will 
play  the  mischief  with  us." 

Understanding  his  father's  meaning  at  once, 
Archie  blushed  as  if  he  had  betrayed  himself,  and 
sitting  up  very  straight  in  his  saddle,  grasped  the 
gun  firmly,  saying : 

**  I   will   keep   cool,  father,   never  fear.      This 


A    BRUSH    WITH    THE    BISON. 


27 


obably 
lunters 
g  line, 
as  the 

litchko 
I  name 
ost  ex- 
se  two 
which 
t.     Up 
)w  cou- 
gh, the 
ir  size, 
horses 
moved 
across 

mbled 

t   the 

uld  go 

"If 

It  will 

once, 
f,  and 
id  the 

This 


-ffl 


won*t  go  off  until  it's  told  to.     But  look,  father; 
isn't  Akaitchko  signaling?" 

The  factor  glanced  quickly  at  the  Indian.  Sure 
enough,  from  the  hither  slope  of  the  next  hill  he 
was  making  gestures  that  said  as  plain  as  words : 

"  The  bison.  I  see  them  —  come  on  —  but 
take  care." 

The  others  soon  saw  the  signal,  also,  and  all 
moved  forward  as  quietly  as  possible  until  they 
were  beside  Akaitchko.  The  old  man  was  fairly 
palpitating  with  excitement,  as  he  said  in  a  hoarse 
whisper  to  Mr.  McKenzie  : 

"  T'ousands  of  'em  !  Um-iim  !  Fine  —  fat  — 
good  !  "  and  he  rolled  his  tongue  expressively  in 
his  mouth. 

Creeping  cautiously  to  the  summit  of  the  hill, 
the  factor,  lying  at  full  length,  looked  over  into 
the  valley  below,  and  beheld  a  sight  that  did  his 
heart  good,  for  there,  within  easy  reach,  and 
utterly  unsuspicious  of  danger,  was  as  noble  a 
herd  of  bison  as  he  had  ever  seen  in  his  life;  bulls, 
cows  and  calves,  all  fat  and  in  fine  condition. 

Without  a  moment's  loss  of  time  the  order  of 
attack  was  arranged.  One  half  of  the  party,  with 
Wentzel  as  leader,  was  dispatched  to  make  a  wide 
ddtour,  and  if  possible  get  on  the  other  side  of  the 
herd,  while  those  who  remained  would  not  move 
until  this  had  been  done.  The  rolling  nature  of 
the  ground  made  this  maneuver  easy  of  accom- 
plishment, and  ten  minutes  later  the  signal  came 


28 


AKinil-:    ()]•    ArilAMASCA. 


Ill 


from  the  orcst   of  I  he  oj^positc  slope,  tli.il    sliowecl 
Wontzors  tlivision  1im<I  fullilled  tlicir  mission. 

Tlic  bison  were  feeding-  down  toward  a  lin^c 
pond  that  tilled  the  valley  at  the  farther  end,  and 
Mr.  McKenzie's  scheme  was  to  stampede  them 
into  this  pond,  where  they  would  be  entirely  at 
his  morey.  When  all  was  in  readiness  he  ealled 
to  !\is  men  to  mount,  and  sec  that  their  }.',uns  were 
all  \iL;ht,  then  giviui;  Archie  an  afTcctionatc  clasp 
on  the  arm,  he  saitl  in  a  low,  tender  tone  : 

••  T.ook  well  out  for  yourself  now,  Archie. 
Don't  :;ct  iu  the  way  of  the  herd,  or  anybody 
else.'* 

Bcioro  Archie  had  time  to  make  any  reply,  his 
t.ith(T  roared  out  at  the  top  of  his  stentorian 
voice,  "  All  together,  now  —  charge  I  "  and  the 
whole  party  as  one  man  started  on  the  galloji  down 
the  slopes,  and  joining  line  in  the  level  valley,  bore 
down  upon  the  startled  herd  like  an  avalanche, 
the  Indians  giving  vent  to  the  most  blood-curdling 
whoops  as  they  urged  thci  mustangs  to  their 
utmost  speed. 

So  sudden  is  the  onset,  that  the  hunters  arc 
right  upon  the  bewildered  bison  ere  they  get 
fairly  started  in  flight,  and  the  sharp  report  of  the 
guns  tci.  that  the  work  of  death  is  begun.  Each 
man  chooses  his  animal,  and  seeks  to  bring  it 
down.  Archie  is  soon  separated  from  his  father, 
and,  determined  t'^  show  his  mettle,  he  singles  out 
a  fine  yearling  bull,  and  sends  a  bullet  into  him 


A  jiKUsii  wrni  Till':  iuson. 


29 


bcliind  Ihc  slioiiMcr,  as  he  had  hccri  told  to  do. 
\\[\{,  nimh  to  his  surpilsc,  his  quarry  refuses  to 
fall,  and  he  is  just  wondering  whether  he  eould 
mana|;c  to  redoad  oti  horseback,  when  he  discovers 
that  he  is  himself  in  too  much  danger  to  ^ive  any 
more  attention  to  the  bison,  for  his  horse,  to  wbom 
this  hunt  is  an  entirely  novel  experience,  has  be- 
come frantic  with  fright,  and  is  carrying  him  right 
into  the  heart  of  the  herd,  now  fully  started  on  its 
[mad  stampetle  toward  the  pond. 


CHAPTER   III. 


THE    RIVAL    ESTABLISHMENT. 


ii 


G 


OD  help  us!"  cried  Wentzel,  who  was 
the  first  to  realize  Archie's  danger, 
"  The  boy's  caught  in  the  stampede,"  and  losing 
all  thought  of  shooting  bison,  in  his  anxiety  for 
his  young  friend,  he  slung  his  musket  over  his 
shoulder,  and  concentrated  his  energies  upon  the 
task  of  forcing  his  horse  through  the  terrified  herd 
in  an  attempt  to  get  to  Archie's  side. 

A  moment  later  the  factor  also  became  aware  of 
his  son's  critical  position,  and  he,  in  like  manner, 
paid  no  more  attention  to  the  hunt,  but  made  ,j 
strenuous  efforts  to  reach  the  imperiled  boy. 

In  truth,  the  situation  was  a  very  serious  one, 
The  thousands  of  maddened  bison  were  thunder- 
ing down  the  valley  at  a  terrific  pace  toward  the 
pond,  to  whose  miry  depths  far  more  of  them 
would  fall  victims  than  to  the  hunters'  bullets 
The  pond  was  hardly  half  a  mile  distant,  and 
unless    Archie    could    be   extricated    from   their 

30 


THE    RIVAL    ESTABLISHMENT. 


31 


midst  before  they  reached  it,  the  chances  were 
ten  to  one  that  he  would  share  their  fate. 

Both  Wentzel  and  Mr.  McKenzie  saw  this 
clearly,  and  urging  their  horses  to  the  utmost, 
they  fought  their  way  from  different  directions 
through  the  surging  rabble  of  beasts.  Fortu- 
nately, they  were  mounted  upon  very  powerful 
animals,  to  whom  a  buffalo  hunt  was  no  novel 
experience,  and,  tremendous  as  the  task  seemed, 
did  succeed  in  making  progress  toward  their  goal. 
At  length,  almost  at  the  same  moment,  they 
gained  their  point.  They  came  up  on  either 
hand  of  Archie,  and  each  grasping  one  rein  of 
his  horse's  bridle,  they  drew  close  together  until 
the  three  horses  were  touching.  Then  came  the 
struggle  for  escape.  The  bison,  crazed  with  ter- 
ror, their  noses  almost  touching  the  ground  as 
they  lumbered  furiously  forward,  pressed  them  on 
every  side.  To  halt  was  out  of  the  question. 
The  utmost  that  could  be  done  was  to  slacken 
speed  somewhat,  and  thus  gradually  work  back 
to  the  rear  of  the  stampede.  Happily  they  were 
not  very  deep  into  the  herd,  and  when  the  van- 
guard was  brought  to  a  standstill  by  the  deep  mud 
of  the  pond's  margin,  the  whole  mass  began  to 
slow  up,  until  finally  it  was  possible  for  the  three 
riders,  whose  united  strength  had  enabled  them 
to  hold  their  own  much  better  than  if  they  had 
been  separate,  to  edge  round,  and  force  their  way 
out  into  freedom  just  in  time  to  save  themselves 


32 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


from  being  carried  by  the  mob  into  the  mire, 
where  hundreds  of  unfortunate  creatures  were 
already  engulfed. 

Archie's  face  was  white  as  a  sheet,  and  his  eyes 
had  a  strange,  half-dazed  expression  in  them,  as 
he  looked  at  his  father  without  uttering  a  word. 

**  Thank  God,  laddie,  for  a  very  narrow  escape !  " 
exclaimed  the  factor,  in  a  reverent,  grateful  tone  ; 
and  then  turning  to  the  Norwegian,  "And  thank 
you,  Wentzel,  for  your  timely  aid.  I  doubt  much 
if  I  could  have  saved  the  boy  alone." 

Wentzel  blushed,  and  murmured  something 
about  its  being  nothing  ;  he  was  only  too  glad  to 
be  of  any  service.  Then  Archie  seemed  to  come 
to  himself,  and  laying  his  hand  upon  his  father's 
knee,  said  in  such  a  pleading  way  : 

"Was  I  very  much  to  blame,  father.?  I  really 
could  not  help  it.  Spot  was  frightened  by  the 
guns,  and  I  could  not  hold  him." 

Evidently,  he  dreaded  his  father  saying  some- 
thing like  this  : 

"  There  now,  Archie,  it  is  just  as  I  told  you. 
You're  not  fit  to  take  part  in  a  hunt  yet,  you  see," 

But  if  any  such  idea  was  in  Mr.  McKenzie's 
mind,  he  took  good  care  not  to  express  it.  On 
the  contrary,  he  answered  the  boy's  anxious  ques- 
tion by  asking  another,  which  completely  turned 
the  current  of  his  thoughts. 

"  Why,  laddie,  what's  become  of  your  gun  ?  " 

Archie    instinctively   threw   his    hand    to   his 


gone 


<( 


THE    RIVAL    ESTABLISHMENT. 


33 


j 


le  mire, 
es   were 

his  eyes 
them,  as 

word, 
jscape ! " 
ul  tone ; 
id  thank 
ibt  much 

)mething 

)  glad  to 

to  come 

}  father's 

I  really 
I  by  the 


g  some-    : 

old  you. 

ou  see," 

livcnzie's 

it.     On 

us  ques- 

turncd 


lin  ? " 
to   his 


shoulder,  but  no  gun  was  there.  Without  doubt, 
he  had  dropped  it. 

"  Let  it  (irop,  eh  ? "  said  the  factor,  smiling. 
•'  Well,  it'll  need  a  new  lock,  stock  and  barrel  by 
this  time,  if  I'm  not  mistaken.  Did  you  fire  it  off 
before  you  let  it  go  .^  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  father,"  replied  Archie  promptly, 
"  I  shot  p.  young  bison  right  behind  the  shoulder, 
just  where  you  told  me  to.  ' 

"  Oh !  ho  !  I'm  glad  to  hear  that,"  said  the 
factor.  "  Suppose  now  we  go  back  a  bit,  and  see 
if  there  is  anything  left  of  the  gun." 

They  accordingly  rode  slowly  back  over  the  turf, 
torn  up  by  thousands  of  furious  hoofs,  and  had  not 
gone  far  before  Archie  exclaimed  joyously : 

"  There  he  is  !  I  know  him  by  that  queer  tuft 
of  hair  on  his  hump.     That's  the  fellow  I  shot." 

Lying  on  the  ground  at  their  feet  was  a  splen- 
did young  bison,  who  had  evidently  died  hard. 

**So  that's  your  /Hze,  Archie,"  said  Mr.  Mc- 
Kenzie.  "  Let's  see  if  we  can  find  your  bullet  ; 
on  which  side  did  you  shoot  him  ?  " 

"  On  his  right  side,  father,"  answered  Archie. 

The  bison  wls  lying  on  his  left  side.  The 
factor  examined  him  carefully 

"  Right  you  are,  laddie,"  be  cried,  touching 
with  his  finger  a  spot  just  behind  the  shoulder. 
"  Here's  your  mark.  Your  popgun  has  been 
good  for  something,  after  all.  This  is  as  fine  a 
piece  of  meat  as  we  shall  get  to-day." 


34 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


While  they  were  talking,  the  Norwegian  had 
gone  on,  keeping  a  sharp  look  upon  the  ground, 
and  presently  he  called  out : 

"  Hurrah !  I've  got  it  —  and  I  don't  think  it's 
hurt  at  all." 

Jumping  to  the  ground,  he  picked  up  the  miss- 
ing gun,  and  turned  it  over  in  his  hand. 

"  No,"  he  declared ;  "  not  hurt  a  bit.  Only 
some  slight  dents  and  scratches ;  "  and  he  handed 
it  to  Archie,  who  had  ridden  up. 

Greatl>  relieved,  Archie  took  his  gun,  and 
patting  it    onderly,  said  to  it  : 

"  You're  not  broken,  are  you  }  You'll  kill  many 
a  buffalo  for  me  yet,  see  if  you  don't.' 

In  the  meantime,  the  work  of  death  had  been 
going  on  fast  and  furious,  until  the  factor,  unwill- 
ing that  there  should  be  needless  slaughter, 
shouted  to  the  men  to  stop,  an  order  which,  being 
pretty  well  tired  out,  they  were  not  loath  to 
obey.  On  reckoning  up  the  results  of  the  hunt, 
thev  ^vcre  found  to  be  entirely  satisfactory.  Over 
one  hundred  bison  had  been  killed,  the  majority 
being  fat,  tender  young  animals  that  would  make 
the  best  of  penimican  ;  and  it  now  remained  to  cut 
their  meat  up  into  long  strips,  and  dry  these  in 
the  sun  before  returning  to  the  fort. 

This  work  occupied  several  days,  during  which 
Archie,  who  had  no  relish  for  it,  amused  himself 
by  exploring  the  com. try  round  about,  riding  upon 
Spot,  and  accompanied  by  a  pack  of  dogs  that 


THE    RIVAL    ESTABLISHMENT. 


35 


n  had 
ound, 

ik  it's 
miss- 
Only 

anded 

I,   and 

many 

I  been 
nwill- 
ghter, 

3eing 
th    to 

hunt, 

Over 
ijority 

make 
to  cut 

se  in 

which 
mself 
upon 
that 


were  always  getting  very  much  excited  over  some- 
tliing,  but  in  the  end  not  accomplishing  much. 
The  jirairic  dogs  afforded  him  a  great  deal  of  fun, 
a!ul  some  fine  practice  in  shooting,  so  that  he  did 
not  find  the  hours  hang  heavily  upon  his  hands. 

The  homeward  journey  was  a  sort  of  triumphal 
progress,  everybody  feeling  that  the  expedition 
had  covered  itself  with  glory ;  and  none  being 
better  pleased  than  Archie  himself,  for  he  con- 
sidered that  he  had  fairly  won  his  place  among 
the  men,  and  that  there  would  no  longer  be  any 
question  about  his  accompanying  his  father  when- 
ever he  wanted  to  do  so. 

On  his  return  to  the  fort,  the  factor  was  met  by 
Mr.  Stewart,  who  had  been  left  in  charge,  with 
a  communication  that  caused  him  to  look  very 
grave,  and  to  make  clear  the  import  of  which,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  take  a  little  dip    into  history. 

The  Northwest  Fur  Company  did  not,  by  any 
means,  have  the  field  to  itself  in  carrying  on  its 
business.  It  was  not,  indeed,  the  first  in  that  field. 
More  than  a  century  before  there  was  any  such 
organization,  the  "  Honorable  Company  of  Mer- 
chcint  Adventurers  Trading  into  Hudson's  Bay,'* 
or,  as  it  was  c;i  led  for  short,  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Co.,  had  been  granted,  by  royal  charter,  very 
extensive  and  indefinite  rights  and  privileges  in 
the  great  lone  land  of  the  Northwest.  Until  late 
in  the  eighteenth  century,  this  company  had  been 
content  with  the  business  that  came  to  the  shores 


36 


ARCHIE   OF    ATIIAHASCA. 


of  the  bay  ;  many  of  their  Indian  customers  travel- 
ing hUiidrods  of  miles,  and  cndurini;  ^reat  priva- 
tion, m  order  to  exchange  their  beaver,  bear 
and  ni'nk  skins  for  guns,  beads,  blankets,  kettles, 
hatchets,  knives  and  other  articles  with  which  the 
company  alone  could  supply  them. 

lUit,  in  the  meantime,  the  gay,  daring,  reckless 
coureurs  du  hois  of  Canada,  and,  in  their  wake,  the 
shrewd  enterprising  merchants  of  Montreal,  had 
been  pushing  farther  and  farther  into  the  West, 
by  way  of  the  Great  I.akes  and  the  Ouinipique, 
Assiniboine  and  Saskatchewar.  River  routes,  com- 
peting eagerly  in  the  quest  for  furs,  and  resorting 
to  every  expedient,  proper  and  improper,  to  get 
the  better  of  the  Indians  and  of  one  another,  with 
the  result  that  in  a  little  while  they  brought  both 
themselves  and  the  trade  to  the  verge  of  ruin. 

In  this  extren.itv  some  of  the  shrewdest  of  the 
Scotchmen  saw  their  ojvportunity,  and,  suggest- 
ing combin;ition  instead  of  competition,  succeeded 
with  little  difficulty  in  uniting  the  clashing  inter- 
ests into  (^ne  body,  which  should  work  harmo- 
niouslv  for  the  benefit  of  all.  Thus  came  into 
being  the  great  Northwest  Fur  Company,  which 
at  once  set  to  work  with  immense  energy  and 
exceeding  skill  to  make  vast  fortunes  out  of  the 
peltry  trnffic.  Forts  and  posts  were  established, 
north,  south  and  west  from  Red  River,  and  no 
eff(M-t  spared  to  secure  every  skin  that  was  to 
be  had. 


THE    RIVAL    ESTAmJSHMI.NT. 


37 


Of  course,  this  could  not  go  on  very  long  with- 
out infrin,L;ing  upon  the  chartered  privileges  of 
the  Hudson's  15ay  Coni{)any,  and  this  corporation, 
awakening  from  its  long  sleep,  manifested  little 
loss  energy  and  enterj)risc  in  looking  after  its 
lights.  Wherever  the  Nor'westers  established  a 
|)()st  or  ])uilt  a  fort,  the  Hudson's  I5ays  pr()mj)tly 
j)ut  another  near  by  ;  and  when  the  latter  hap- 
pened to  be  first  on  the  spot,  the  former  returned 
the  compliment.  Thus,  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
(Hstant  from  r\)rt  Chi|)ewyan  stood  l^'ort  Weddcr- 
biune,  the  Hudson's  hiiy  establislnnent,  a  niuch 
less  extensive  affair,  but  still  sufficient  to  show 
that  the  older  company  had  no  idea  of  leaving  its 
rival  unwatched  and  unopposed. 

For  some  time  the  rivalry  between  the  two 
c()mj)anies  had  been  of  cpnte  a  friendly  nature. 
The  emjiloyes  were,  as  a  rule,  upon  excellent 
terms,  sind  frecpiently  enjoyed  one  another's  hos- 
pitality in  the  shape  of  balls  and  dinners  during 
the  long  weary  winters.  Hut  of  late  years  a 
different  spirit  had  begun  to  show  itself.  In  the 
Red  River  district,  where  the  comj^etition  was 
keenest,  unfortunate  collisions,  in  which  blood 
was  shed,  had  occu»'re(i,  and  a  feeling  of  uneasi- 
ness and  of  mutual  suspicion  was  taking  the  place 
of  the  old  cordiality  and  good-fellowship. 

The  worst  feature  of  this  new  order  of  things 
was  that  the  rivals  sought  every  di;vice  to  alienate 
the   Indians   from  each  other,  bidding  for   their 


38 


ARCniK    OF    ATIIAUASCA. 


exclusive  friendship  by  extravagant  presents,  and, 
to  tlieir  shame  be  it  said,  by  lavish  outlay  of  the 
pot)r  red  man's  deadliest  curse,  the  firewater  for 
which  he  wouKl  at   any  time  barter  his  very  soul. 

Against  both  these  evils  Mr.  McKenzie  had, 
until  this  summer,  been  able  to  make  a  successful 
stand.  So  much  was  he  respected  and  admired  at 
Fort  Wedderburne,  that  no  chill  had  fallen  upon 
the  pleasant  relations  between  the  two  establish- 
ments ;  and  so  i)rofounil  was  the  influence  his 
splendid  courage  and  unwavering  fair-dealing  had 
won  for  him  among  the  Indians,  that  not  one  ot 
those  whom  he  eouKl  rightly  regard  as  his  parish- 
ioners had  need  to  be  bribed  by  firewater  to 
remam  faithful  to  him. 

But,  early  in  the  season,  the  factor  at  Fort  Wed 
derburne  had  been  recalled,  and  his  place  filled  by 
one  who  brought  with  him  from  Red  River  feel 
ings  of  intense  animosity  against  the  Nor'westers, 
and  a  burning  ambition  to  win  renown  by  doing 
them  all  the  harm  he  possibly  could.  Mr.  Mc- 
Kenzie hit  the  mark  when  he  surmised  that  this 
change  was  no  accident,  but  only  the  first  step  in 
a  carefully-prepared  policy,  the  object  of  which 
was  the  downfall  of  T'ort  Chipewyan. 

In  n'any  respects,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company 
could  hardly  have  chosen  a  better  agent  than 
Mdi  s  McDougal.  lie  had  beer  in  their  employ 
from  his  teens,  and  to  him  th^'  company  meant 
everything.     For  it  he  lived,  and  moved,  and  had 


wyan. 
fear. 


TIIR    RiVAI.    KSTAniJSIIMKNT. 


39 


,1 


his  bcinj;.  No  stratcj^y  wns  too  mean,  no  use  of 
force  too  brutal,  provided  the  company  profited. 
The  end  justified  the  means,  and  not  a  cpialm  of 
conscience  had  he,  so  long  as  he  succeeded.  !Ic 
was  very  different  in  appearance  from  Mr.  Mc- 
K(Mi/.ic  —  being  of  middle  stature,  and  very  thick- 
set, with  absurdly  bowed  legs,  and  huge  flat  feet. 
Ills  head  was  square,  and  seemed  almost  to  rest 
upon  his  broad  shoulders,  so  short  was  his  neck; 
iir.d  his  face  was  no  less  ugly  than  his  figure  was 
ungraceful,  yet  the  one  spoke  as  unmistakably  of 
craft  and  cruel  determination,  as  did  the  other  of 
strength  and  tireless  endurance.  Altogether,  he 
was  one  who,  at  the  first  glance,  made  you  feel  that 
it  were  far  better  to  be  his  friend  than  his  enemy, 
and  best  of  all  to  be  neither  the  one  nor  the  other. 
On  his  arrival  at  1^'ort  Wedderburne,  Mr.  Mc- 
Kcnzie  had  at  once  made  overtures  of  friendship, 
but  they  were  so  ungraciously  received  that  he 
did  not  repeat  them,  and  with  much  regret  real- 
ized that  the  two  forts  must  soon  become  hostile 
camps  instead  of  sociable  neighbors.  Not  only 
so,  but  that  henceforth  he  must  maintain  a  sleep- 
less vigilance,  if  he  would  hold  his  own  against 
this  new  influence,  accounts  of  whose  evil  work 
in  other  districts  had  already  reached  Fort  Chipe- 
wyan.  In  a  fair,  open  contest  he  had  nothing  to 
fear.  He  had  many  advantages  on  his  side.  His 
men  outnumbered  McDougal's  two  to  one.  His 
establishment   was    larger   and    better   equipped. 


ill 


4^ 


\\H  \\\\>    or     A  111  VUA^i  A 


Uo  h;\\\  won  \\\o  roiUwltMu  I'  ',\\\\\  \\^\r  n|  \\\v  Indiiinq 

l\onrs1  ttr;\1ino  I  Iumt  \v;\9  I>\»1  imh'  \\m\  in  whli  h 
MrOo\^;L,;\l  ro\<M  l^opo  1»>  M\ippl;n\l  luni,  Mnd  Hull 
xv;\\  l\t\  i\lv  Ki  u'/io  Know  wi'll  rnon^h  Ihr  livnl 
\vo\iKl  no!  lu^Hil;\ti*  to  ;<«lopl. 

V''ro\n   tl\»M\n   »'oi   <ii  «'\v;U(M  ,  (ho  Im  Im    ;H    \'\)\{ 
1 ']n]>o\\  \  ;\n    ]\;hl    Ivopt    lii-^    sKitIs    rlo.n.      I  h*    tN* 
lv'stO\l   ^lv\>n5;    JnnK  in  onom   ?<h:\)M' ,   mwl  il   ;H  nny 
t\n>v'  tho  nltrt  n.\t  i\  I'  ]>ot\vovM\  nsini>    il    in  \\'\^  liMilo 
nnd  wsi^nu\o    lus  ]>osi(ion  lunl   Iumm^  pn^mMihMJ   to 
]\\n\  1)0  wonlvl   h;\\i*  H^sionod   M   onrtv      llissupc 
riovs    1nl)\     tnulovslood    tins.    ;nnl    u^spotlin^    Ins 
st\n»lv    pinu  i]>]i  s,  »\);\»lo   no   lUloinpt    lo    intiMfru^ 
with   thou    ]M;hlivO.      No  )>os(    nc\\\    in    bollor  vr 
tvnns    [hAw   h\s   did,  i\\u\    \\\.\{    was    all   ihoy  wore 
ivnvvn^od  ;\l>v>\it. 

\\\\\  tho  now  tiUtor  at  l"\nt  NWvMoilnnno  had 
not  boo\^  lonv;  i'  stallo*!  hotoio  tho  tiiowatoi  ar^ti 
inonl  was  tMv>nj;ht  \nto  play  ;  anil  the  nows  whioh 
met  Mt.  IVtoKonrio  on  his  ioturt\  iioni  the  hnlTalo 
bunt,  anvl  whioh  tnado  him  \oo\<  so  ^;rayc,  was  that 
A  K\nd  ot  v'hipowvans.  wlu>so  oi>ininj:;  with  many 
|\^oks  ot  poll  lies  ho  havi  cxpootoil.  had  hccn  met 
In  Mol\mi;al  anvl  his  mon  a  ilay's  j«>nrncy  from 
tho  tort,  anvl  pUovl  with  liqnv>r  imlil,  ioi jotting  all 
their  oMii:.^tiv>ns  to  Mr.  IMoRcnzio,  lo  whom  the 
fins  woro  plovl^od  iov  advanoos  made,  they  had 
jwrtod  with  Xhcm  to  their  tempter,  at  a  priec  far 
below   then    real  worth,  and   were   now  well   on 


I  III'     MIVAI,     rsi  Alll  ISIIMKN  I 


4i 


till  it  vvjty  Inifiir  n^MJii,  f'»f  flify  woiiM  not  fl;»rf'  to 
(  Miiif'  iiil"  •  Im'  I'll  I 

I\Ii.  M»  Krii/if*  vvMiiM  fi(»f  (  ;mf  m  '  I'hi'I  ii(»'(fi  fhr* 
(M'Mri;«l     |iini(iii|.;      f;M|qf'f|      l»y     th«^     SIM  (»',;.;    of     f|,f* 

liiiiil,  I'V  I'llin^  il  '»e  seen  hnw  ifiii' }i  Ih:  wa.q 
(Ijql  III  Imm| 

"  M<  Mmiij^mIV?  «nilwilfr»|  im  (liiq  firrif,  Stfwnrf, 
fill  ir'q  iin  ^i^Miii^  ov<M  tli;it,"  fi(»  s.ii'l,  ;is,mirf»iri^  a 
(  lif  (I  ill!  ('H|M("^sinn. 

"  Mill  IK  vf'i  iiiiiHl  ;  il'll  l»r  our  turn  fc  xt,  if  wo 
niily  l<<'<'|'  ••in  ryrq  f»|»eM.  Ift's  tanglit  (is  .i  l(jS5i(;n 
\\r  miml  III    ln||7(«(.  " 

TIkiI  (WiMiiii^  li»^  (  ;ill('(l  Wrnt/,f'l  into  fiiq  room, 
;nni  llicy  lirul  ;i  loti^  mimI  rnrncst.  f.;ilk  to^fjfifr. 

"  riicic's  lioiililc  bf'{/j lining,  I  {/rratly  fr.ir,  Wnn- 
l/cl/'  Miid  IIk^  I.i(  tor,  m;ikin^  no  (»rrtf  rmr  to  fii'ie 
liom  liis  lij'Jil  IkiihI  rnnii  ;ifHl  trimty  (onfid;int  the 
(;i;ivily  ul  the  situation.  "  Wr  rniRt  try  ;iri'l  rnfet 
|.;iiilr  vvilli  y^wWr.  as  loiif^  ;is  wr  ( ?in,  }>iit  so  snrc 
as  I'm  sitting;  hrrc,  it'll  ( omc  to  fi^4>tir»^j  yet. 
The  IIimIsoii's  li;iys  (  l<iim  t}i;it  we're  nothing 
belter  tli;in  trespassers,  you  know,  ariH  someday, 
when  they  think  they're^  strontr  enoijj/t),  they'll 
order  us  out,  and  then  it  will  be  a  sair  day  for 
some  of  us  ;  "  and  a  heavy  sigh  welled  up  from  the 
big  man's  chest,  for  bis  tboiigbts  turned  to  the 
beloved  wife  and  darling  children,  who  would  he 
sure  to  suffer  most  in  the  event  of  hostilities 
taking  place. 

There    was   a  pause,  during    which    both    men 


42 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


smoked  their  pipes  in  silence,  and  then  the  Nor- 
wegian, taking  his  from  his  lips,  held  it  before 
him,  and,  as  though  he  were  addressing  it,  said 
slowly : 

*'  Those  are  our  furs  they  got  from  the  Chipc- 
wyans.  They've  stolen  them,  just  as  much  as  if 
they'd  taken  them  from  our  storehouse.  Aren't 
you  going  to  make  them  give  them  up.^" 

The  factor's  eyes  flashed  angrily  at  this  re- 
minder of  the  scurvy  trick  McDougal  had  played 
upon  him,  and  the  temptation  was  strong  to 
accept  the  challenge  so  quietly,  and  yet  so  ear- 
nestly offered,  and  to  spring  to  his  feet  with  a  vow 
that  those  furs  should  be  in  the  Fort  Chipewyan 
storehouse  ere  another  sun  had  set. 

But  his  Scotch  sagacity  stood  him  in  good 
stead.  He  knew  well  enough  that  to  begin  in 
that  way  would  be  the  height  of  folly,  and  putting 
a  strong  curb  upon  his  feelings,  he  replied  in  the 
same  calm,  measured  tones  in  which  Wentzel  had 
sprken  : 

**  No,  no,  Wentzel ;  that  would  not  do.  We 
must  keep  off  the  evil  day  as  long  as  we  can. 
Don't  let  our  men  hear  you  talking  like  that,  but 
instead  just  give  them  a  hint  to  have  as  little  to 
do  with  the  Fort  Wedderburne  folk  as  possible. 
McDougal  will  lose  no  chance  to  be  ugly.  Let 
him  be  the  first  to  pick  the  quarrel.  We  must 
try  to  have  right,  as  well  as  might,  on  our  side; 
and  besides,  there  ought  to  be  letters  soon  from 


TIIK    RIVAL   ESTABLISHMENT. 


43 


We 

can. 

but 
le  to 
liblc. 

Let 

lUSt 

lide ; 
rom 


Ivirt  William,  and  I  want  to  wait  and  see  what 
news  they  bring,  before  taking  McDougal  in 
hand." 

The  question  was  further  discussed  between 
the  two  men,  with  the  result  that  Wentzel  agreed 
that  Mr.  McKenzie's  way  was  the  best.  Accord- 
ingly, no  effort  was  made  to  recover  the  furs,  but 
the  various  employes  were  instructed  to  be  on 
their  guard  ;  and  matters  went  on  as  usual,  until, 
as  Fate  would  have  it,  Archie  had  an  encounter 
with  the  factor  of  Fort  Wedderburne,  that  came 
very  near  causing  the  smoldering  fire  to  burst 
out  into  open  flame,  and  subsequently  brought 
very  disagreeable  consequences  upon  himself. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


KIDNAPED. 


ARCHIE  had  no  lack  of  playmates  at  the 
fort.  Although  his  father  was  the  only 
one  of  the  officials  that  had  yet  taken  to  iiimself  a 
wife,  many  of  the  employes  were  married,  and,  as 
a  rule,  their  partners  were  Indian  women,  who 
had  been  purchased,  not  wooed.  The  children  of 
these  mixed  marriages  swarmed  about  the  place, 
in  all  stages  of  growth,  from  innocent  little 
papooses  done  up  tightly  in  their  bark  cradles,  to 
well-grown  boys  as  full  of  mischief  as  eggs  were 
full  of  meat. 

Over  these  tawny  companions  Archie  held  un- 
questioned sway.  Not  merely  because  he  was  the 
factor's  son,  but  because  he  had  fought  his  way  to 
the  leadership  by  sheer  force  of  fists.  As  already 
told,  he  was  of  a  proud,  ambitious,  impetuous 
nature  that  brooked  no  authority  save  that  which 
he  was  in  duty  bound  to  recognize.  Had  he  been 
asked  to  choose  a  motto  for  himself,  and   been 

44 


was   c 

mainta 

small 

implici 

Mr.  M 

they  hi 

In  SI 

races  i 

while  t 

the  for 

the  ga 

game  o 

winter-t 

the  pla 

down  tl 

its  ice-c 

foxes, 

that  th< 

take  cap 

Onefi 


KIDNAPED. 


45 


familiar  enough  with  classical  literature,  his  choice 
would  certainly  have  been  "  Aut  CcesaVy  aut  nul- 
Ills ; "  which,  put  into  plain  English,  means,  "  I'll 
be  boss,  or  nothing." 

Being  gifted  with  more  than  usual  powers,  both 
of  mind  and  body,  Archie,  once  his  superiority 
was  clearly  established,  had  little  difficulty  in 
maintaining  it  \  and  very  proud  was  he  of  the 
small  army  of  boys  that  obeyed  his  orders  as 
implicitly  as  their  fathers  did  the  commands  of 
Mr.  McKenzie.  There  was  no  limit  to  the  fun 
they  had. 

In  summer  the  noble  lake  was  always  ready  for 
races  in  canoes,  or  exciting  swimming  matches, 
while  the  broad,  level  stretch  at  the  other  side  of 
the  fort  made  a  fine  ground  upon  which  to  play 
the  game  of  Crosse,  out  of  which  the  modern 
game  of  Lacrosse  has  been  developed.  Then,  in 
winter-time,  came  the  snow-shoeing  away  across 
the  plains  and  back  to  the  fort,  the  tobogganing 
down  the  steep  shores  of  the  lake,  and  out  upon 
its  ice-clad  bosom,  and  the  setting  snares  for  the 
foxes,  minks,  martens,  and  other  furry  creatures 
that  they  were  now  and  then  lucky  enough  to 
take  captive. 

One  fine,  cold  autumn  afternoon  the  boys  were 
having  a  grand  time,  of  it,  playing  Crosse  on  a 
piece  uf  clear  ground  about  midway  between  the 
two  forts,  when  a  fleet-footed  youngster,  seeing 
that  his  side  was  getting  much  the  worst  of  it, 


46 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


Ill 


picked  up  the  ball  on  his  crossc,  and  ran  off  with 
it  at  the  top  of  his  speed  in  the  direction  of  Fort 
Wedderburne.  As  soon  as  the  others  understood 
his  trick,  both  sides  joined  in  the  chase,  yelling 
with  all  their  might,  while  they  did  their  best  to 
run  him  down. 

On  they  sped  toward  the  fort,  the  little  rascal 
who  was  running  off  with  the  ball  intending  to 
make  believe  to  seek  refuge  there,  because  he 
knew  well  enough  it  was  not  likely  any  of  the 
others  would  dare  to  follow  him.  Too  absorbed 
in  their  play  to  notice  anything  else,  they  swept 
around  a  rise  in  the  ground,  and  suddenly  were 
brought  face  to  face  with  Mr.  McDougal,  who  had 
just  issued  forth  from  the  fort,  mounted  upon  a 
young  horse  whose  education  to  the  saddle  had 
not  yet  been  completed.  The  unexpected  and 
startling  appearance  of  this  horde  of  yelling 
young  savages,  as  might  be  expected,  proved 
altogether  too  much  for  the  nerves  of  the  half- 
broken  animal,  and  with  a  wild  spring  to  one  side, 
he  pitched  the  surprised  factor  clear  over  his 
head,  and  galloped  off,  leaving  him  sprawling 
upon  the  ground. 

A  good  deal  shaken  up,  but  not  otherwise  the 
worse  for  his  tumble,  Mr.  McDougal  scrambled  to 
his  feet,  and  looked  about  him  to  find  a  score  of 
boys  grinning  from  ear  to  car  at  his  discomfiture. 
He  was  furious  enough  because  of  his  fall,  but 
this  adding  of   insult   to  injury,  as  it  seemed  to 


H 


him,  ( 

stout 

isliing 

roarin 

"  Y« 

to  frii,^ 

He 

boys  si 

giving 

were  a] 

(listanc 

the   on 

the  lad 

twisted 

upon  hi 

Thei 

the  bi^ 

with  fri 

brute  cd 

ground 

moreovc 

With  th 

lad  a  bli 

piercing 

was  agai 

voice  cri 

"  You 

boy  agair 

Astour 

Dougal  1( 


KIDNAPED. 


47 


ind 

ing    \ 

ved 
alf.    j 
de,    \ 
bis 


ling 


Ithe 

ll  to 

of 

ire. 

Ibut 

to 


him,  drove  him  frantic.  He  held  in  his  hand  a 
stout  riding-whip  of  twisted  rawhide,  and  brand- 
ishing; this,  he  rushed  upon  the  boy  nearest  him, 
roarin^i;  out : 

"  You  —  little  scoundrels  ;  Til  teach  you  not 
to  frii^htcn  my  horse  again." 

He  looked  dreadful  in  his  racjin^r  wrath,  and  the 
boys  shrank  from  him  appalled,  their  merry  shouts 
giving  way  to  cries  of  terror.  But,  happily,  they 
wore  all  too  agile  for  him  to  get  within  striking 
distance,  and  he  would  have  wasted  his  fury  upon 
the  empty  air,  had  not  one  of  the  smallest  of 
the  lads,  in  his  eagerness  to  escape,  tripped,  and 
twisted  his  ankle,  and  in  a  moment  the  factor  was 
upon  him. 

The  poor  little  fellow  looked  up  pleadingly  into 
the  big  man's  face,  his  tawny  cheeks  made  pallid 
with  fright,  and  only  one  with  the  instincts  of  a 
brute  could  have  struck  him  as  he  cowered  on  the 
ground.  But  Miles  McDougal  was  a  brute,  and 
moreover  he  was  beside  himself  with  passion. 
With  the  full  strength  of  his  arm  he  struck  the 
lad  a  blow  across  the  back  that  brought  out  a 
piercing  scream  of  anguish,  and  the  cruel  whip 
was  again  raised  to  strike,  when  a  clear  young 
voice  cried  out  indignantly  : 

"  You  coward  —  you  brute  !  Don't  strike  that 
boy  again." 

Astounded  at  being  thus  addressed,  Mr.  Mc- 
Dougal let  his  hand  drop  as  he  turned  to  see  who 


48 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


had  spoken.  It  was  Archie,  who,  with  face  aflame 
and  blazing  eyes,  stood  not  ten  yards  distant,  full 
of  a  wild  desire  to  Hing  himself  at  the  factor's 
throat,  for  the  prostrate  boy  was  little  Sawtloulai 
(Sunshine),  the  youngest  son  of  old  Akaitchko, 
and  dear  to  Archie,  not  only  for  his  father's  sake, 
but  because  he  was  the  brightest,  best-natured 
boy  at  the  fort. 

On  seeing  who  it  was,  the  factor  gave  a  fierce 
snort  of  contempt. 

*•  Coward  and  brute,  eh  !  Just  wait  until  I'm 
done  with  this  chap,  and  then  I'll  give  you  your 
turn,"  he  growled,  and  had  once  more  lifted  his 
whip,  when  Archie's  crosse,  hurled  with  all  the 
boy's  might,  and  with  admirable  aim,  struck  his 
arm  just  at  the  elbow,  and  chancing  to  hit  the 
funny  bone,  caused  the  whip  to  drop  from  his 
paralyzed  grasp.  Roaring  out  an  awful  threi  t, 
the  factor  paused  for  a  moment  to  rub  his  injured 
member.  Then,  regaining  the  whip,  and  forget- 
ting all  about  little  Sawtloulai  in  his  unbounded 
rage  at  Archie,  he  rushed  after  the  latter  like  a 
maddened  bull. 

But  he  might  as  well  have  chased  a  will-o'-the- 
wisp.  In  all  his  life  he  had  never  known  a  day 
when  he  could  run  as  fast  as  Archie,  and  now 
that  he  was  verging  toward  middle  age,  and  was  as 
stout  as  his  active  mode  of  life  would  suffer  him 
to  become,  Archie  could  have  given  him  twenty 
yards  in  a  hundred,  and  beaten  him  handily. 


KIDNAPED. 


49 


^■j 


Laughing  gleefully  at  the  success  of  his  inter- 
ference in  his  playmate's  behalf,  and  at  the  idea 
of  Mr.  McDougal  imagining  he  could  catch  him, 
Archie  bounded  off  lightly,  his  pursuer  toiling 
laboriously  after  him,  until  they  came  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  Fort  Chipewyan,  when  the  lat- 
ter, being  by  that  time  completely  winded,  decided 
to  give  up  the  chase,  and  shaking  his  whip  after 
the  fleet-footed  boy,  panted  out : 

"  You  infernal  little  puppy  !  I'll  punish  you  well 
for  this  yet,  as  sure  as  my  name's  McDougal." 

Then  turning  about,  he  went  off  in  search  of  his 
runaway  steed. 

In  the  meantime,  the  rest  of  the  boys  had  fled 
to  cover,  and  when  Mr.  McDougal  finally  disap- 
peared, made  their  way  back  to  the  fort,  well 
pleased  at  having  got  off  so  well.  As  for  poor 
little  Sunshine,  who  had  not  only  a  sore  ankle  but 
a  bruised  back  to  endure,  he  received  so  much 
sympathy  and  attention,  particularly  from  Archie, 
that  he  hardly  regretted  his  sufferings. 

When  Mr.  McKenzie  heard  of  what  had  oc- 
curred, he  could  not  help  enjoying  a  hearty  laugh 
at  the  ridiculous  light  in  which  it  presented  his 
rival,  and  he  praised  Archie  warmly  for  the  manly 
part  he  had  taken.  But  when  the  laugh  was  over, 
his  face  grew  grave  again  as  he  said  : 

*'  It's  all  well  enough  to  laugh,  Archie,  and  I 
certainly  do  not  blame  you,  my  boy,  for  what  you 
did.     But  at  the  same  time,  I  would  be  very  glad 


50 


ARCniK    OF    ATllAHASCA. 


if  this  had  not  happened.  Mr.  Mcl)()ii{;al  is  your 
cncmv  as  well  as  mine  now,  and  he  won't  lose  a 
ehanee  to  do  either  of  us  any  ill  turn.  Keep  well 
elear  of  him,  Archie  lad,  and  of  all  belonging  to 
him." 

The  factor  not  only  spoke  the  truth,  but  uttered 
a  prophecy  in  these  words.  Mr.  McDougal  would 
not,  indeed,  lo.sc  a  ch.aiice  of  doing  either  of  them 
ill.  To  the  animosity  he  felt  toward  Mr.  McKen- 
zie,  just  because  he  was  his  rival,  had  been  added 
a  sense  of  personal  injury  and  indignity,  that 
filled  him  with  a  consuming  thirst  for  revenge, 
which  nothing  but  revenge,  sweet  and  full,  would 
ever  appease.  lUit  Archie  ilid  not  know  this,  and 
having  proniiseil  his  father  to  keep  well  out  of  Mr. 
McOougal's  way,  he  thought  little  more  about  the 
matter,  as  the  hot  summer  cooled  into  autumn,  and 
the  chill  winter  drew  near. 

In  spite  of  all  the  efforts  at  interference  from 
the  Hudson's  l^ays,  the  Nor'westers,  by  dint  of 
ceaseless  vigilance  anil  skillful  bartering,  secured 
as  rich  a  return  of  peltries  as  usual ;  and  it  was 
with  no  small  sense  of  relief  that  their  chief 
regarded  the  approach  of  winter,  when  the  In- 
dians would  all  have  returned  to  their  homes,  if 
such  they  might  be  called,  and  there  would  be  no 
more  need  of  watching  for  them  night  and  day, 
lest  thev  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  his  rival. 

He  was  glad,  too,  when  it  was  no  longer  neces- 
sary for  him  to  be  in  the  saddle  or  the  canoe  day 


KIDNAPRD. 


51 


after  (lay,  or  absent  from  the  fort  for  a  week  at  .1 
;i  lime,  for  he  loved  his  liltlc  home  circle,  and 
found  his  ^neatest  happiness  in  f,^'lthcri!^(;  wife, 
and  son,  and  dan^diter  about  him,  and  relating  the 
events  of  his  last  journey,  or  rcadi!i<;  tf)  them  from 
one  of  his  books. 

Nor  was  he  alone  in  his  j;ladness.  His  f^oorl 
wife,  Virf;inie,  now  showing  a  beeomin;;  dr^rcii  of 
matronly  plumpness,  and  Rose-Marie,  fast  f;row- 
if^  into  bewitching  maidenhood,  welcf)m('(l  no  less 
a^^erly  the  season  that  kept  the  men  much  at 
home,  for  then  the  one  had  her  Donald,  and  the 
other  her  Archie,  and  neither  one  nor  the  other 
had  yet  found  more  cn^a^in^  society. 

The  gettinf^  ready  for  the  lon^,  dr(!ary  winter 
was  a  seriotis  business  at  such  a  lar;;(!  establish- 
ment as  I*'ort  Chipcwyan.  Immense  stocks  of 
pcmmican  had  to  be  prepared  ;  uncoiinted  white- 
fish  dried  and  packed  away  ;  the  precious  stores 
of  Hour,  tea  and  tobacco  brouj^ht  up  from  below  ; 
hundreds  of  cords  of  wood  drawn  from  the  forest, 
and  piled  alon^^  inside  the  palisarle,  and  the  vari- 
ous buildinj^s  carefully  pone  over,  that  not  a  chink 
mi*!;ht  be  left  throuf^h  which  the  prying  winter 
winds,  always  on  the  lookout  for  an  opening, 
could  make  their  way. 

Archie  had  not  much  time  for  idling  in  those 
busy  days.  He  acted  as  a  sort  of  aid-de-camp  to 
his  father,  and  it  was  — 

"Archie,  jump   on    to    Spot,  and  ride  over  to 


s^ 


AKCniK    OF    ATHAHAsrA. 


whore   they're   cuttin}r    the   wood,    and    tell    Mr. 
Wont7cl  I  want  to  speak  to  him."     Or  — 

**  Archie,  just  nni  down  to  the  lake,  and  see  if 


the  eanoes  are  baek  from  \\\c  fishing  f;rounds." 

And  so  forth  anil  st>  forth.  Sometimes  Archie 
fell  Ignite  j^roiul  of  heinj;  so  lisefnl.  Sometimes 
he  thonght  it  was  a  decided  bore,  and  perhaps, 
just  when  he  was  needed  most,  wonld  take  it  into 
his  liead  to  make  himself  scarce,  so  that  the  factor 
woidvl  have  to  press  one  of  the  Indian  lads  into 


service,  ms 


tead. 


"  Von  are  a  queer  chap,  Archie,"  his  father 
would  sav  to  hnn,  when  the  hoy  wonld  return 
after  one  of  those  sudden  disappearances.  "  T  am 
afraid  I  i\o\\\  half  understand  you  yet.  lUit  I'm 
not  gt>ini;  to  worry  about  it.  ^^)u'rc  sound 
enoui^h  at  the  core,  and  I  can  trust  you  to  come 
out  straight  enoui;h  in  the  end." 

ft  was  just  b»v  puttini;  this  implicit  trust  in  his 
son  that  the  factor  showv^l  his  far-sccinj;  wisdom. 
A  ]\irent  with  less  penetration  would  probably 
have  sought  to  curb  and  check  the  boy's  inipetu- 


ou 


s,  wavward    spirit,  with   the   result   of  maki 


ni: 


him  either  sullen  or  deceitful,  or  both.      Hut  the 
shrewd  Scotchman's  idea,  as  expressed  in  his  own 


pre! 


words   was 


"Give  the  ladilie  his  head.  Don't  won y  him. 
Many  a  cood  horse  has  been  spoiled  in  the 
brenViiiir." 


The  natural    result  of   this  method  of   dcalin 


(Y 


KinNAf'Kf). 


53 


was  that  the  niost  (Icli<;htfiil  undcrstandint;  cx- 
islcMl  l)ctwccn  father  and  son  ,  and  when,  under 
siKss  of  temptation,  Archie  would  now  and  then 
iD.mdest  an  unruly  s|)irit,  no  sooner  did  he  recover 
his  halance,  than  he  at  once  sou<;ht  his  father's 
lor[;ivene:?s,  and,  that  granted,  promptly  forgot 
all  ahout  the  matter,  in  his  joy  at  being  restored 
to  favor. 

While  the  winter  preparations  were  still  in 
progress,  an  incident  occurred,  which,  althfiu^^h 
not  thought  of  much  importance  at  the  time, 
proved  to  have  a  deep  signihcance  when  viewed  in 
the  li;;ht  of  subsecpient  events.  Late  one  after- 
noon, old  Akaitchko,  who  had  been  out  upon  the 
plains  in  cpiest  of  deer,  came  hurrying  back  to 
the  fort,  evidently  in  a  state  of  considerable  excite- 
ment. He  would  speak  to  n(>body  until  he  found 
Mr.  McKenzie,  and  he  reported  to  him  what  he 
had  seen.  The  latter  showed  that  the  communi- 
cation interested  him  deeply.  It  was  to  the  effect 
that  while  about  ten  miles  off  to  the  north,  the 
old  Intlian  had  perceived  the  approach  of  a  band 
of  Indians.  Now,  it  was  not  usual  for  Indians  to 
visit  the  fort  in  numbers  late  in  the  autumn. 
They  were  at  that  time  too  busy  securing  their 
winter's  supply  of  buffalo  meat  and  whitefish. 
Consetjuently,  old  Akaitchko's  suspicions  were 
aroused  by  the  appearance  of  this  large  body,  and 
he  had  contrived  to  insj)ect  them  carefully,  with- 
out allowing  him    U   to   be  seen.     His   surprise 


-.'..A~V    -,. 


M 


\Ui  nU',    IM-     A  inAHASl  A. 


\V.1R   in»MOi«^»Ml    whrn    h<*    'vindr    o\il    (hul    they    Im> 
lonm^l  t.'  !i<>iu'  ol   tho  iiibi's  vvhu  l»  r.nnr  umiuImiIv 
lo  ilu'   1(M(.  .nhl   l\r  was  ol    lh»»  opinion   \\\:\{    [\\{\ 
\\\\\s\  l>i  io\ii;  \o  tho  lnl>i'  Known  ns  (l\i'  <  ^ninrlrm, 
who'll'  \rnitv>\\   l.«v  Mlonj;   llu*   In    noiilirin  l»MnKs 
ol      'u'    M«  K»  n7io   Kivoi,   lUhl    romoinn^n     whom 
■aW    how^  oi    Mood  I  nitllin};   slo\ios    h,ul   i  ii  <  nliili'il 
sont]nv.«r\l.       Mu^v  woh*  Ivnown   to  \v.«}m«   nnnoit"^ 
s.^M    w  ,n    with    ll\\'    l'>mnini.\ti\   o<    th(>    \nlic    »r 
j;i\>\\s.  ;n^l  \\*M0  rivililoil  with  r.?ii>';;  tlun  oinMnir'^ 
;^s  1.\st    ;<s  thv^N   KiUod   (honv       Th*  \   wno  "Jvon  (o 
'he  }M,\v  t\\0  »>1    stt;n)5;o  m^I  honil^lo  titrs  .   h;i<l  no 
vospv\'t    'or   t)\o  Invs  of  ownvM  ship,  sloiHni;    wh;H 
ovoi    \]w\    yo\}\\\   \a\   {hc\v   MMn<ls  npon,  anil  woir 
nl\v;ns   rv^o.n>loil    ;\s   (lu"   blark'*st   o\     hi, irk    shoop 
bv  \]w  othvt  t!ibos. 

WhAt  possiMo  o]>iov'(  {\\cy  niij;ht  \\,\\c  in  von 
tnvini;  .^o  \a\  sovAh,  \\i\9.  a  tpiostion  \\\,\\  lonM 
not  Ih"  Answoiovi  to^>  si>on.  IMu^  f.utoi,  ;uronl 
in^^lv.  i^UhvMioh  ilatknoss  was  at  hand,  nionntctl 
his  liovso.  and  vouc  o\\\  to  niv^M  thoiu.  Ilo  had 
iiv^t  i;vMU^  ta!.  lunvcN  m.  whon  ho  w.is  nuM  !>>•  tincr 
ot  tlio  stvancors,  whi>  havl  evident  1\  l>Oi'n  sont 
on  a]u\u^  as  anil>.\ssavlois.  whilo  thv^  n\ain  body 
awailod  t'noir  ivpoit.  11  o  ihon  loainod  that 
Akaitoliko's    s\ipposiliv>n    was    r(>noot,    arul    that 


th 


ov  wo;o 


ot"  the  v'^uairolors'  lrilH\  .nul  liad  v'ouk 


liown  tor  imrpv'^sos  ot"  travlo.  llowas  cnal>lod  to 
hold  oomnmnioation  witli  tliom  hv  moans  o("  a 
IxMvor  Indian  Iro.n  Ciical  Slave  Lake,  whom  ihcy 


■ 


had  hiMi 
I  iriil  ly  I 
\\\r  (  hi| 
n«>in^ 
ififni  »Ma( 
!_!  ?  rrh  d 
1(1  Ml  II    I' 

si>iM   anil 
niH'     n( 
K  t  III  tlilll 

A  h«M 
pMtvidr  1 
they  had 
and  lilliMl 
ccrdcd  If 
in^  so  h* 

Thr   ( 
l()   he   ro 
the  (•oiit( 

tl»C    Ur.w 

Mr.  M(  Is 
their  (o? 
ni.any  pai 
bcr  of  n 
dcahnj;  | 

been  ^(1 
and,  (h't( 
sought  t 
der  arrov 


KlllNAMO. 


$j 


liiiil  ItiMiij'Jil  mImho  ;iq  MilfM  |»f  ^f  "r,  li''  )fi'hiir  m»fTi- 
('i»M)llv  l;iMiili;it  IimIIi  w'itli  llir'n  HiMlc  fl,  ;iri'l  with 
tlu'  <  lii|"  wviM,  vvliif  li  w;m  in  imr  ,'it   tlif    forf 

MriiiL',  imxi'rim  |r>  tt\>['.\\i\  llir  full' sf  |»oqqiMf» 
infni  mil  inn  ;iI,!MiI  tlH\q<»  ncw-(  orrifr  m,  thr  f.irtor 
mrrlrtl  ihriii  «MKli;i||y,  nrld  ifivitcvl  all  tlirrr  ff> 
iilMMi  I"  III'"  (nil  willi  liJni.  Aftrr  «<»rr»f!  Hiqr  iis- 
sinii  Pinnnnsi  ihciimrlvrfl,  tlio  Urnvff  Iri'li^rt  ;iri'l 
oiH'    MJ     Ihr    oljiri.q    M((eplo'l,    tin;    tliifl      InHia 


n 


|(  llll  llll»!' 


In   Ih! 


P''"l 


Mr 


A  JMiimliliil  mrjij  »»f  thf  hrqf  \)u'  fort  cotiM 
|U(iviil<'  vv,i4  |»l;i(  <m|  licforf!  the  ^tir^t^  ;  ;mi'I  wh^n 
tliry  hiiil  (Mtcii,  ;m  cmly  hmij^ry  frifjiafm  '  oiilfj  fat, 
and  lillol  tjjrii  pipps  to  r)vrifl(>wif){/,  tJH'  fa'  tf*r  pro- 
(crdnl  In  iiw|iiii('  ifito  thn  (ihjff  t  they  f)ad  in  rnak* 
iu^;  sn  lrn«;tl>y  aii»l  Hinisiial  a  jfnirrjcy. 

'Ilic  (Jii  II  tclcrs  at.  first  did  not  Hmn  inrlincd 
to  1)0  rninnMinicativc,  and  sal  pnfTin^  away  with 
the  cnntcnlcd  air  of  ofin  who  had  dinrd  wfll  ;  }*nt 
the  Mr.wiM  Indian  was  fidl  of  talk,  and  from  him 
Mr.  M(  Kcn/jc  learned  that  the  mair)  pnrf)i';sc  of 
their  (Miming  was  not  barter,  althon^li  they  had 
many  pa(  l<s  of  valuable  fnrs,  but  to  obtain  a  num- 

ts  of  whose  terribb;  death- 


ber  (A  innskets, 
(lealitij;  powers 


accoii 

lad  reached  even 


their  remote  re- 


gion.    Tiieir  hereditary  foes,  the  Ksrjiiimaiix,  had 
been  ^etlin'r  rather  the  better  of    th^irn  of    late, 


anr 


1,  determining^  to  utterly  wi[)e  thern  oi<t,  they 
souf;ht  the  assistanee  of  the  white  m-in's  "thun- 
der arrow,"  fnr  so  they  described  the  musket. 


S6 


ARCHIE    OF   ATHABASCA. 


When  they  were  gone,  the  factor  had  a  long 
talk  over  the  matter  with  his  wife,  and  his  son, 
and  Mr.  Wentzel.  It  was  as  fixed  a  principle  with 
him  to  refuse  the  Indians  firearms  as  firewater. 

"  My  reason's  clear  enough,"  he  argued.  "  Let 
the  Indians  have  all  the  guns  they  want,  and  it 
will  be  the  story  of  the  Kilkenny  cats  over  again. 
Besides  that,  the  beaver  and  buffalo  will  go  fast 
enough  as  it  is.  There's  no  need  to  hurry  them 
with  bullets.  If  every  Indian  carried  a  gun,  they 
would  soon  make  furs  so  scarce  that  we  might  as 
well  go  out  of  the  busines.s.  No,  sir  ;  so  long  as 
I  can  have  my  own  way,  not  a  pound  of  gun- 
powder, nor  gallon  of  brandy  shall  they  ever  get 
at  Fort  Chipewyan." 

Mrs.  McKenzie  looked  admiringly  into  her  hus- 
band's face  as  he  spoke,  for  she  knew  well  what 
sad  work  both  firearms  and  firewater  had  wrought 
among  the  red  men  of  the  South,  and  she  had 
always  strongly  supported  him  in  his  views. 

Archie,  who  had  been  gazing  thoughtfully  into 
the  fire,  as  soon  as  the  factor  finished,  turned  to 
him  and  asked : 

"But,  father,  won't  Mr.  McDougal  give  the 
Indians  what  they  want,  and  might  we  not  just 
as  well  get  their  furs,  since  we  have  the  first 
chance } " 

To  which  question  Mr.  Wentzel,  who  did  not 
altogether  share  his  chief's  opinions,  gave  an 
approving  nod. 


Mr. 
of  sh 
gestui 

"W 
Get  tl 

Arc 
tried 
fense, 
hasten 

"I 
Donal( 
was  in 
too,  all 
argum< 

"Ycj 
die,  an 
my  sor 
relers 
Esquin 
and  sp< 
tion  in 

•♦Nc 
not  thi 

The 
ness  V 
them  h 
ers  to( 
rival,  \ 
from  t 
night, 


KIDNAPED. 


57 


Mr.  McKenzie,  at  once  assuming  an  expression 
of  shocked  surprise,  exclaimed^  with  a  dramatic 
gesture  : 

"  Would  my  boy  Archie  tempt  me  like  that  ? 
Get  thee  jehind  me,  Satan." 

Archie  reddened  up  to  the  roots  of  his  hair,  and 
tried  to  stammer  out  something  in  his  own  de- 
fense, while  his  mother,  seeing  his  confusion, 
hastened  to  his  rescue. 

"I  don't  .think  Archie  means  to  tempt  you, 
Donald,"  she  said  gently.  "  Only  he  spoke  what 
was  in  his  mind  —  what,  I  confess,  was  in  ip.y  mind, 
too,  although,  of  course,  I  don't  think  it's  a  good 
argument." 

"  You  only  spoke  the  wisdom  of  the  world,  lad- 
die, and  I  am  not  blaming  you.  But  look  here, 
my  son  ;  if  you  knew  that  the  guns  these  Quar- 
relers want  would  be  used  to  slaughter  poor 
Esquimaux,  who  have  nothing  better  than  arrows 
and  spears  of  bone,  would  you  take  much  satisfac- 
tion in  supplying  them  .^" 

•'  No,  indeed,"  cried  Archie  promptly.  "  I  was 
not  thinking  of  that  when  I  said  what  I  did." 

The  end  of  it  was  that,  refusing  to  do  any  busi- 
ness with  Mr.  McKenzie,  unless  he  would  let 
them  have  the  guns  and  ammunition,  the  Quarrel- 
ers took  themselves  and  their  furs  over  to  his 
rival,  whose  emissaries  had  been  amongst  them 
from  the  first.  There  they  remained  for  a  fort- 
night, which  was  little  better  than  a  prolonged 


J  J 


58 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


i 


dotssons,  or  **  drinking  match."  Mr.  McDougal, 
for  reasons  which  will  subsequently  appear,  seeing 
fit  to  supply  them,  not  only  with  the  firearms,  but 
with  as  much  brandy  as  they  could  drink,  with 
the  result  that  no  less  than  five  murders  were 
committed,  for  all  of  which  the  i^ew  weapons  that 
Mr.  McKenzie  had  so  wisely  refused  them,  were 
responsible.  Mr.  McKenzie  gave  orders  that  none 
of  his  people  should  have  anything  to  do  with 
them,  and  awaited  with  some  impatience  their 
departure. 

There  had  come  to  Athabasca  the  last  spell  of 
mild  weather  ere  the  stern  grasp  of  winter  finally 
closed  upon  the  land,  and  Archie,  who  was  pas- 
sionately fond  of  hunting,  taking  little  Sawtloulai 
as  his  companion,  went  out  after  partridge  in  the 
forest  that  began  about  a  mile  from  the  fort,  and 
stretched  away  interminally,  northward. 

On  his  way  thither  he  encountered  Mr.  McDou- 
gal returning  to  Fort  Wedderburne  from  a  similar 
errand,  and  afterward  he  remembered  the  peculiar 
lock  which  came  into  the  factor's  face  —  a  look  of 
vindictive  triumph  which  seemed  to  say,  **  I  see 
my  chance  to  get  even  with  you  now." 

He  soon  forgot  about  the  meeting  in  the  excite- 
ment of  partridge  hunting,  and  indeed  forgot  about 
the  flight  of  time  also,  so  that  his  companion,  who 
was  acting  the  part  of  retriever  for  him,  and  con- 
sequently not  enjoying  the  sport  as  much  as  the 
one  that  did  the  shooting,  had  to  remind  him  more 


KIDNAPED. 


59 


than  once  that  the  sun  had  set  ere  he  bethought 
himself  of  turning  his  face  homeward. 

He  divided  the  birds,  of  which  there  was  a  round 
dozen,  into  two  lots,  and  giving  Sawtloulai  one, 
was  just  about  to  sling  the  other  upon  his  shoulder 
when  suddenly  four  Indians,  who  had  crept  up  un- 
seen, flung  themselves  upon  the  boys,  and  before 
they  could  utter  a  cry,  or  make  a  movement  to 
escape,  had  bound  and  gagged  them,  and  were 
bearing  them  off  rapidly  into  the  fast-darkening 
depths  of  the  forest. 


CHAPTER  V. 


IN    CAPTIVITY. 


SO  swift  and  sudden  was  the  capture,  that 
neither  of  the  boys  could  make  a  struggle 
before  they  were  so  securely  bound  that  all 
struggling  was  useless.  Uttering  no  sound  save 
deep  "  Ugh's  !  "  expressive  of  satisfaction  at  their 
success,  the  Indians,  seeming  to  find  their  pris- 
oners no  more  impediment  to  speed  than  they 
would  have  found  the  partridges,  hastened  onward 
until  they  reached  an  open  glade,  where,  by  the 
dim  light,  four  horses  could  be  descried  tethered 
to  the  trees.  Upon  these  they  mounted  ;  two  of 
them  taking  a  boy  on  in  front,  and,  keeping  the 
animals  at  a  rapid  walk,  they  pushed  ahead,  it  evi- 
dently being  their  determination  to  put  as  much 
distance  as  possible  between  themselves  and  the 
forts  ere  daybreak. 

It  would  not  be  easy  to  describe  the  thoughts 
that  were  passing  through  Archie's  mind  while  all 
this  was  happening.     So  harmonious  were  the  re- 


IN   CAPTIVITY. 


6l 


lations  between  Fort  Chipewyan  and  the  Indian 
tribes  far  and  near,  that  he  had  always  been  ac- 
customed to  look  upon  the  red  men  as  his  good 
friends.  Indeed,  he  was  a  great  favorite  amongst 
them,  and  many  a  trick  of  the  paddle  and  artifice 
of  the  snare  had  he  learned  from  their  deft  fingers, 
while  in  turn  he  would  give  them  little  presents 
of  tea,  or  tobacco,  or  beads  that  were  always  wel- 
come. By  being  much  in  their  company,  he  had 
scraped  some  acquaintance  with  their  language, 
and  by  dint  of  vigorous  gestures  could  make  him- 
self fairly  well  understood  in  the  Chipewyan  and 
Beaver  dialects.  The  tinge  of  Indian  blood  in 
him,  of  course,  made  this  all  the  easier,  and,  in 
fact,  he  felt  almost  as  much  at  home  among  his 
dusky  cousins  as  among  the  white  men. 

Consequently,  when  he  found  himself  carried  off 
in  this  strange  and  startling  fashion,  he  was  not 
long  in  making  up  his  mind  as  to  who  his  captors 
were.  Without  a  doubt  thoy  were  some  of  the 
Quarrelers,  but  what  reason  they  had  for  their 
action  he  could  not  imagine,  think  as  hard  as  he 
might.  Even  though  there  were  no  gag  in  his 
mouth,  it  would  be  useless  to  ask  questions,  for  the 
Quarrelers'  dialect  was  utterly  unknown  to  him, 
and  it  was  already  so  dark  that  he  could  not  see 
their  faces  clearly  enough  to  read  the  expressions 
upon  them. 

The  Indians  who  had  charge  of  himself  and 
Sawtloulai  were  in  the  middle  of  the  single  file, 


62 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


and  when  the  horses  came  close  together  he  could 
hear  the  poor  frightened  little  fellow  behind  him 
crying  bitterly.  1 1  is  own  heart  was  beating  wildly, 
and  ho  knew  that  his  face  was  white  with  anxiety  ; 
but  he  resolved  that  come  what  might  he  would 
bear  himself  like  a  man,  and  let  these  Indians, 
whatever  might  be  their  designs,  see  that  the  son 
of  the  factor  of  Fort  Chipewyan  would  not  bring 
discredit  upon  himself  by  showing  the  slightest 
symptoms  of  fear. 

Throughout  the  night  the  journey  was  continued 
without  a  halt,  the  Indians  seeming  to  find  their 
way  almost  as  readily  as  if  it  were  broad  daylight. 
In  this  they  had  much  help  from  the  moon,  which 
rose  about  nine  o'clock,  and  threw  its  cold  beams 
upon  t'^cir  path,  enabling  Archie  to  perceive  that 
they  were  following  closely  the  left  bank  of  the 
Great  Slave  River,  which  forms  the  connecting 
link  between  Lake  Athabasca  and  the  Great  Slave 
Lake  more  than  two  hundred  miles  due  north. 
Archie  knew  this  because  he  had  made  the  trip  in 
a  canor  with  his  father  that  very  spring,  and  he 
began  wonder  how  much  farther  than  the  lake 
his  ca  rs  would  take  him,  if  he  were  not  rescued 
from  them. 

The  gag  prevented  him  from  speaking,  but  it 
was  no  obstacle  to  thinking,  and  ids  brain  busied 
itself  with  anxious  speculations  as  to  what  the 
dear  ones  at  the  fort  were  doing,  and  whether 
they  had  yet  found  any  clue  as  to  his  strange  dis- 


IN    CAPTIVITY. 


63 


appearance.  He  would,  of  course,  be  missed  as 
soon  as  the  night  came  without  his  return,  and  he 
felt  sure  that  no  time  would  be  lost  in  sending: 
searchers  after  him.  Hut  alas!  it  was  not  much 
that  they  would  be  able  to  do  in  the  darkness- 
The  ground  was  as  hard  as  iron  ;  not  even  old 
Akaitchko's  marvelous  eyes  could  possibly  track 
his  footsteps,  and  then,  he  and  Sawtloulai  had 
wandered  in  all  directions  through  the  woods, 
socking  the  partridge  coveys,  so  that  even  the 
best  of  dogs  would  be  at  fault.  The  more  he 
thought  this  over,  the  heavier  grew  his  heart,  and 
it  required  all  his  self-control  to  keep  back  the 
tears  that  tried  hard  to  make  their  way  down  his 
cheeks. 

Soon  after  daylight  the  Indians  turned  off 
sharply  to  the  left,  and  pushing  through  a  thick 
bunch  of  timber  came  into  a  secluded  dell,  where 
a  spring  of  clear  water  bubbled  up  through  a  grow- 
ing rim  of  ice,  and  the  grass  grew  rank  and  dense. 
The  leader  said  something  that  sounded  like  a  suc- 
cession of  grunts,  to  which  the  others  responded 
with  approving  "  Ughs  !  "  and  then  they  all  dis- 
mounted, and  hobbling  their  horses,  turned  them 
loose  to  feed  and  rest. 

Ai.  soon  as  he  was  put  down,  Archie  turned  to 
the  Indian  with  whom  he  had  ridden,  and  with 
appealing  looks  and  gestures  besought  him  to  re- 
move his  bonds.  The  Indian  consulted  with  his 
companions  for  a  moment,  and  presently,  io  the 


64 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


boyVi  immense  relief,  took  o(T  both  gag  and  thongs, 
and  set  them  free.  Hy  a  common  impulse  the  two 
lads  threw  their  arms  about  each  other's  necks, 
and  then  poor  Archie,  wearied  with  the  long 
ride,  chilled  to  the  bone  by  the  piercing  night 
air,  and  overcome  with  a  sense  of  his  utter  help- 
lessness, could  control  himself  no  longer,  and  the 
sobs,  hitherto  so  manfully  kept  back,  shook  his 
whole  frame  as  little  Sawlloulai's  tears  mingled 
with  his  own. 

Hut  it  was  not  for  long.  His  passion  of  grief 
soon  s|)ent  itself,  and,  drawing  himself  up,  he  said 
in  a  firm  tone  to  his  companion : 

"  Crying  won't  make  it  any  better,  Sawtloulai, 
so  let's  cheer  up  and  see  what  they  are  going  N) 
do  with  us.  I  don't  believe  they'll  do  us  any 
harm.  Perhaps  they  only  mean  to  keep  us  until 
father  finds  us  out,  and  gives  them  guns  and 
powder  to  give  us  up  again.  I  do  think  that  must 
be  it." 

Shivering,  hungry  and  exhausted,  Sawtloulai 
looked  like  anything  else  rather  than  Sunshine, 
yet  the  dear  little  fellow  tried  to  smile  hopefully 
through  his  tears  at  Archie's  brave  words,  and 
the  latter  was  encouraged  to  add  : 

"  The  braver  we  arc  the  better  they'll  be  to  us, 
Sawtloulai,  so  wc  won't  let  them  sec  any  more  cry- 
ing if  we  can  help  it,  will  we  } " 

In  the  meantime,  the  Indians  had  started  a  fire, 
and    were    preparing  some   pemmican    soup  in  a 


IN    CAPTIVITY. 


65 


small  kettle  one  of  them  carried  on  his  back. 
There  was  nothing  else  for  breakfast  save  this  ;  but 
there  was  no  lack  of  appetite,  and  even  the  boys 
forgot  their  troubles  long  enough  to  eat  a  hearty 
meal,  at  which  the  Indians  seemed  very  well 
pleased.  So  far  as  could  be  judged,  they  meant  no 
harm  to  their  young  captives  beyond  the  carrying 
them  off,  and  what  possible  object  they  could  have 
in  this,  except  the  one  he  had  mentioned  to  Sawt- 
loulai,  Archie  was  entirely  at  a  loss  to  conceive. 

A  couple  of  hours  were  spent  in  the  dell,  and 
then  the  horses  were  caught,  and  remounted,  the 
boys  being  put  with  different  Indians  this  time, 
but  left  unfettered,  and  the  little  party  moved  off 
a;;ain  in  the  direction  of  Great  Slave  Lake,  the 
same  rapid  pace  being  maintained,  and  every  hour 
increasing  at  least  six  miles  more  the  distance 
between  the  boys  and  their  home. 

And  now  what  was  taking  place  at  Fort  Chipe- 
wyan  ^  As  the  darkness  approached,  and  Archie 
(lid  not  return,  his  mother  began  to  worry  about 
him,  and  again  and  again  sent  Rose-Marie  to  the 
;;ate  to  see  if  he  were  not  coming.  Mr.  McKenzie 
had  been  down  at  the  'ake  fishing,  and  did  not  get 
back  until  night-fall.  The  moment  he  appeared, 
his  wife  asked  him  if  he  had  seen  anything  of 
Archie,  and  on  his  replying  in  the  negative  she 
showed  so  much  anxiety  that  saying  reassuringly, 
"  Oh  !  the  lad's  all  right.  He's  been  so  eager 
after  the  partridges  that  he  hasn't  noticed  the  sun 


66 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


going  down/*  he  called  up  one  of  the  half-breeds 
and  sent  ^  •  n  off  to  the  woods  to  hurry  the  boys 
home. 

An  hour  passed,  during  the  course  of  which  the 
factor  himself  commenced  to  share  his  wife's  con- 
cern, and  then  the  half-breed  returned,  saying  that 
he  could  not  find  a  tr^ce  of  the  boys,  although  he 
had  shouted,  snc'  ifeo  off  his  gun,  and  in  every 
way  tried  to  a.nact    heir  attention. 

Now  seriously  alait  ^d,  the  factor  immediately 
ordered  out  every  man  at  the  fort,  and  rapidly 
organizing  them  into  three  parties,  commanded 
respectively  by  Mr.  Wentzel,  Mr.  Stewart  and 
himself,  and  well  supplied  with  pine  torches,  set 
forth  in  search  of  the  missing  boys.  If  he  had 
only  known  that  the  factor  of  Fort  Wedderburne, 
standing  at  his  gate,  and  catching  the  gleam  of 
the  torches  as  they  flitted  like  fire-flies  through 
the  trees,  smiled  with  grim  triumph,  saying  to 
himself  :  '*  Hunting  for  your  cub,  eh  ?  Wish  you 
luck  in  finding  him.  It's  Miles  McDougal's  turn 
now,"  he  might  have  tried  other  measures  to  get 
upon  the  track  of  his  son.  But  he  knew  nothing, 
then,  of  his  remorseless  rival's  part  in  the  matter. 

Sending  the  other  two  parties  on  ahead,  with 
orders  to  search  as  though  their  lives  depended 
upon  success,  Mr.  McKenzie  went  over  to  the 
camp  of  the  Quarrelers  to  try  if  they  could  give 
him  any  hint  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  boys. 
But  his  visit  was  fruitless.     The  most  of  the  men 


IN   CAPTIVITY. 


(>7 


were  either  still  drunk  or  stupid  from  the  effect  of 
their  prolonged  debauch ;  and  any  way  the  Beaver 
Indian,  by  whose  aid  alone  it  would  have  been 
possible  to  hold  communication  with  them,  was 
not  to  be  found,  the  truth  being  that,  shrewdly 
anticipating  some  such  step,  Mr.  McDougal  had 
the  Indian  at  that  moment  lying  in  a  drunken 
sleep  in  one  of  the  storerooms. 

Soon  seeing  that  there  was  nothing  to  be  gained 
from  them,  Mr.  McKenzie  hastened  to  the  woods 
and  joined  the  others  in  their  eager  search,  'h  h 
continued  without  pause  the  whole  night  th  nu^u, 
none  being  more  active  than  Akaitchko,  Vv.h-  !•  ved 
Archie  but  little  less  than  he  did  the  darlfng  of  his 
old  age,  bright  little  Sawtloulai.  Neithe.  Le  nor 
the  factor  could  in  any  way  understand  their  sons* 
disappearance.  It  was  too  early  in  the  winter  for 
wolves  or  wild-cats  to  be  dangerous.  There  were 
no  bears  known  to  be  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
the  Indians  round  about  were  considered  nearly  as 
trustworthy  as  the  employes  of  the  fort. 

The  more  he  turned  the  matter  over  in  his  mind, 
the  more  convinced  Mr.  McKenzie  became  that 
the  factor  of  Fort  Wedderburne  was  in  some  way 
at  the  bottom  of  the  boys*  disappearance.  But 
how,  in  the  absence  of  any  evidence,  was  he  to 
bring  the  thing  home  to  him  >  If  the  Quarrelers 
knew  anything  they  could  not  tell  it,  even  though 
they  would,  and  none  of  McDougal's  employes 
would  dare  to  betray  their  master's  secret. 


68 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


Wearied,  worried  and  perplexed,  Mr.  McKenzie 
returned  to  the  fort  at  daybreak,  to  be  met  at  the 
gate  by  his  wife,  who  had  not  closed  her  eyes  all 
nigiit,  and  who,  on  seeing  him  without  Archie, 
burst  into  a  passion  of  tears,  and  fell  fainting 
into  his  arms.  Forcing  a  hopeful  expression,  the 
factor  sought  to  comfort  her,  although,  indeed,  his 
own  heart  was  very  heavy  ;  and  it  was  only  be- 
cause he  knew  he  must  eat  in  order  to  bear  the 
fatigues  of  the  day  before  him,  that  he  could 
taste  the  food  made  ready  for  him.  In  twos  and 
threes  the  other  searchers  returned,  all  having  the 
same  disheartening  reply  to  make  to  Mrs.  McKen- 
zie's  eager  questioning ;  and  while  they  were  rest- 
ing and  eating  their  breakfast,  Mr.  McKenzie 
determined  to  swallow  his  pride,  and  go  over  to 
Fort  Wedderburne,  in  the  faint  hope  of  there 
lighting  upon  some  clue  to  his  boy. 

He  found  McDougal  enjoying  a  morning  pipe, 
and  his  suspicions  that  this  man  knew  something 
about  the  matter  were  deepened  by  the  malicious 
leer  which  marked  his  ugly  countenance  as,  rising 
from  his  chair,  he  greeted  his  visitor  with  mock 
courtesy : 

*'  I'm  sure  this  is  an  unexpected  honor,  Mr. 
McKenzie.  Pray  take  a  seat,  and  fill  up  your 
pipe.  There's  a  great  deal  of  comfort  in  a  smoke 
these  cold  mornings." 

Not  heedins:  either  the  tone  of  the  speaker,  or 
his  invitation  to  smoke,  Mr.  McKenzie  plunged  at 


IN    CAPTIVITY. 


69 


once  into  the  subject  which  engrossed  his  thoughts. 
Still  wearing  that  malicious  leer  which  made  his 
visitor  long  to  smite  him  in  the  face,  McDougal 
answered  lightly  : 

"Do  I  know  anything  about  your  boy?  Well, 
I  don't  quite  understand  how  I  am  responsible  for 
him.  He  has  not  been  in  the  way  of  informing 
me  as  to  his  movements." 

Mr.  McKenzie's  hand  clenched,  and  an  angry 
flush  burned  on  his  bronze  cheek,  but  restraining 
his  rising  wrath,  he  said  in  a  quiet,  firm  tone  : 

"  I  did  not  imagine  that  Archie  would  have 
told  you  where  he  was  going,  but  I  thought  that 
perhaps  you  or  some  of  your  men  might  have  seen 
him  yesterday  afternoon,  and  I  would  be  obliged 
if  you  would  kindly  make  inquiry  amongst  th^^m." 

"  Oh !  certainly.  Very  happy  to  do  so,  I'm 
sure,"  replied  McDougal.  "  Come  with  me,  and 
we'll  ask  the  men.  They're  all  about  the  fort 
somewhere." 

So  the  two  men  went  out  together ;  the  one 
already  deipairing  of  gaining  anything  by  his 
visit,  the  other  rejoicing  in  the  depths  of  his  evil 
heart  at  the  father's  deep  concern,  and  the  knowl- 
edge that  every  hour's  delay  decreased  the  chances 
of  Archie's  recovery. 

The  men  were  closely  questioned  by  Mr.  Mc- 
Kenzie  without  result ;  as  a  matter  of  fact,  they 
were  quite  as  much  in  the  dark  as  he  was  himself. 
Except  McDougal,  only  one  man  at  the  fort  pos- 


70 


ARCHIE  OF   ATHABASCA. 


sessed  the  secret,  and  that  was  the  Beaver  Indian, 
still  safely  shut  up  in  the  storehouse,  and  thus 
prevented  from  revealing  it,  even  though  he  had 
been  so  disposed.  After  a  fruitless  hour's  in- 
quiry, Mr.  McKenzie  returned  to  Fort  Chipewyan, 
and  gave  directions  for  one  half  of  his  force  to 
make  ready  to  set  out  again,  this  time  upon  the 
horses,  and  with  provisions  for  several  days. 

The  necessary  preparations  took  some  little 
time,  and  the  sun  was  well  up  in  the  heavens 
when  Mr.  McKenzie  bade  good-by  to  his  weeping 
wife  and  daughter,  and  telling  them  to  pray  for 
his  speedy  return,  with  Archie  safe  and  sound, 
rode  off  at  the  head  of  a  dozen  of  his  best  men. 
As  Lake  Athabasca  lay  to  the  southward,  there 
was  no  chance  of  Archie's  having  gone  in  that 
direction.  He  must  be  in  the  North  somewhere, 
and  accordingly  the  little  band  pressed  forward 
rapidly  toward  the  Slave  River,  and  was  soon  lost 
to  view  in  the  depths  of  the  forest. 

In  the  meantime,  the  quartet  of  Quarrelers, 
with  their  two  captives,  had  been  making  good 
progress  in  the  direction  of  Great  Slave  Lake. 
The  day  was  clear  and  cold,  the  ground  hard  with 
frost,  and  they  followed  as  closely  as  they  could 
the  line  of  the  river,  occasionally  making  a  short 
cut  across  country  where  its  windings  were 
too  frequent.  Aside  from  his  natural  anxiety, 
Archie  found  the  journey  intolerably  wearisome. 
He  had   not  a  comfortable  position,   perched  up 


IN    CAPTIVITY. 


71 


behind  a  none-too-clean  Indian,  and  compelled  to 
cling  tight  to  him  in  order  to  save  himself  from 
falling  off.  His  guardian  never  uttered  a  word, 
and  even  if  he  had,  it  would  not  have  been  intelli- 
gible. Sawtloulai  was  too  far  away  to  talk  with. 
So  he  had  no  other  resource  than  his  own  thoughts. 
But  these  were  moving  briskly  enough.  Now 
they  were  turned  to  Fort  Chipewyan,  and  what 
was  being  done  there  to  recover  him.  Anon 
they  were  occupied  planning  out  schemes  for 
escape. 

He  felt  sure  that  already  every  man  that  could 
possibly  be  spared  from  the  fort  was  out  in  search 
of  him,  and  that  if  they  could  only  hit  upon  his 
track,  they  would  not  rest  until  they  had  over- 
taken him.  But  would  they  find  any  traces  of  his 
captors,  and  of  the  way  in  which  he  had  been 
carried  off  ?  Alas !  he  knew  well  enough  the 
chances  were  very  slight,  and  that  only  by  some 
happy  accident  could  they  get  any  hint  of  what 
had  happened. 

The  more  he  thought  over  the  matter,  the  more 
clearly  it  came  to  him  that  his  best,  if  not  his 
only  plan,  would  be  in  some  way  to  delay  the  pro- 
gress of  his  i^arty,  in  order  that  his  father  might 
have  as  much  time  as  possible  to  catch  up,  in 
case  he  was  upon  their  track.  To  effect  his  own 
escape  was  out  of  the  question.  He  would  be 
run  down  and  recaptured  in  a  few  moments,  even 
though  he  should  succeed  in  breaking  away.     If 


72 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


then,  the  point  was  to  retard  the  speed  of  the 
Indians,  the  most  natural  way  to  gain  it  must  be 
to  deprive  them  of  their  horses.  And,  impracti- 
cable as  this  might  seem,  Archie's  bright  brain, 
during  the  course  of  that  long  day's  ride,  brought 
forth  a  scheme  that  was  no  less  hopeful  than 
daring. 

At  midday  the  little  party  halted  for  a  couple 
of  hours,  the  horses  grazing  while  the  Indians 
smoked  an  after-dinner  pipe,  and  Archie  had  an 
opportunity  of  talking  with  Sawtloulai,  and  telling 
him  of  his  scheme.  The  little  fclli)w  was  in  a 
very  miserable  mood,  and  it  did  not  cheer  him 
much.  It  did  not  mean  immediate  escape  ;  and  he 
was  so  desperate  with  cold  and  weariness,  that  at 
a  word  from  Archie  he  would  have  made  a  dash 
for  liber»-y  there  and  then,  although  all  four  of 
the  Indians  were  sharply  watching  every  movement 
of  the  two  boys.  But  Archie  was  full  of  hope, 
and  did  his  best  to  cheer  his  com[)nnion. 

The  afternoon  was  the  same  as  the  morning. 
Up  hill  and  down  dale,  through  bunches  of  timber, 
and  across  streams  already  wearing  their  winter 
breastplate,  keeping  up  a  steady  jog-trot  most  of 
the  time,  the  Quarrelers  pushed  on  until,  by  sun- 
down. Fort  Chipewyan  lay  nearly  a  hundred  miles 
to  the  south,  and  their  tired  animals  had  no  more 
go  left  in  them.  Then  the  halt  for  the  night 
was  made,  and  the  time  for  the  carrying  out  of 
Archie's  project  drew  near, 


IN  CAPTIVITY. 


73 


Every  nerve  tingled  with  excitement,  and  his 
heart  beat  so  wildly  that  he  dreaded  lest  he 
should  betray  himself ;  but  he  managed  to  appear 
composed  enough,  and  shortly  after  nightfall,  lay 
down  near  the  fire,  and  apparently  fell  into  a 
sound  slumber. 

The  others  soon  followed  his  example,  the  In- 
dians not  thinking  it  necessary  to  keep  watch, 
and  presently  all  was  silent  save  the  soft  crack- 
ling of  the  expiring  fire.  Half  an  hour  passed, 
and  then  one  of  the  sleepers  stirred,  lifted  his 
head  gently,  looked  round  about  him  warily,  and 
listened  intently  to  the  heavy  breathing  of  the 
Indians.  A  moment  later  he  rose  to  his  feet, 
and  crept  noiselessly  toward  the  horses  that  were 
standing  in  a  group  together  not  many  yards 
away.  He  held  a  knife  in  his  right  hand,  and 
when  he  reached  the  animals,  who  started  a  little 
at  his  approach,  but  were  soon  reassured  by  his 
soft  so-ing,  he  stooped  down  to  their  fore  feet, 
and  gave  four  cuts  in  quick  succession.  Then, 
straightening  himself  up,  he  crept  back  to  his 
place  as  noiselessly  as  he  had  left  it,  and  rolling 
his  buffalo  robe  about  him,  seemed  as  though  he 
had  never  stirred. 


CllArTKK   VI. 


TO    rHK    KKSCUK. 


IN  his  basto  to  make  ready  aiul  j;ot  away  after 
his  son,  Mr.  McKenzie  did  not  notice  that 
Akaitchko  was  not  amon^  his  followers.  liiit 
after  they  had  ^one  some  little  distance,  he  be 
thought  himself  of  the  veteran  hunter,  whose  rare 
gifts  anil  lon^  experience  made  him  peculiarly 
valuable  for  just  such  work  as  that  which  they 
now  had  in  hand,  and  he  calleil  a  halt  to  impure, 
with  si>me  anxiety,  if  any  one  knew  what  had 
become  of  him. 

"  Oh !  Akaitchko's  all  right,"  said  Mr.  Wentz.el. 
"  I  saw  him  riding  otT  io  the  woods  on  his  best 
horse,  a  few  minutes  after  you  went  over  to  Fort 
Wedderburne.  He's  just  gone  on  ahead  to  try 
and  pick  up  the  bt>y's  trail." 

*•  Goil  grant  he  may  find  it  soon  I  **  exclaimed  the 
factor  fervently.  *•  Kvery  moment  is  precious. 
But,  hark!  isn't  that  the  sound  of  hoofs  ?** 

They  were  approaching   a  glade  in  the  forest, 

74 


TO   TIIK    RKSCUE. 


75 


anil  (listincl  upon  the  still  morning  air  came  the 
hoof  boats  of  a  f^allopin*^  horse,  and  the  next  mo- 
ment, as  they  came  out  into  the  open,  they  saw 
Akaitchko  bearing;  vhiwn  upon  them  at  full  speed. 
K(inin|;  up  his  horse  with  a  suddenness  that 
tim'w  it  back  upon  its  haunches,  the  old  Indian, 
with  intense  excitement  expressed  in  every  line  of 
his  wrinkled  face,  cried  c»ut  : 

"We  found  him  !    We  found  him  I  " 

The  factor's  heart  j;avc  a  wild  leap  of  joy,  and 
^f.isi);n^^  the  Indian's  arm,  he  shouted  in  his  ear, 
as  though  he  were  deaf : 

•'{♦'ound  who?     My  boy  Archie?" 

Akaitchk«»  shook  his  head. 

'•  Not  Archie,  but  him  trail,  certain  sure." 

The  answer  was  disappointing;,  thouj^h  it  pjave 
jjronnds  for  hope,  and  in  a  quieter  tone  the  factor 
iiKjuirctl : 

••  P'ound  his  trail   -  where  ?     Par  from  here  ?** 

"  Not  much  far,"  replied  Akaitchko.  "Come, 
I  show  you  ;"  and  wheeling;  his  horse  round,  he  set 
off  in  the  direction  he  had  come.  After  K^)itJK 
about  half  a  mile  he  reachcfl  a  sort  of  shallow 
•;.dley,  along  whose  bottom  ran  a  little  stream, 
and  there,  in  the  newly  formed  ice,  as  plain  as 
print,  were  the  marks  where  four  horses  had 
crossed  within  the    preceding  twenty  four   hour.s. 

Hy  the  subtle,  incomprehensible  instinct  of  his 
race,  the  old  hunter  had  hit  upon  the  truth. 

•'  Bad    Indian  with    horses  —  pick    up    boys  — 


76 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


take  'cm  away.  Rut  Akaitchko  catch  him,  cer- 
tain sure  ;  "  and  his  face  (larkened  into  an  expres- 
sion that  boded  ill  for  the  men  who  had  carried 
off  his  son,  if  he  should  ever  get  his  hands  upcn 
them. 

"  And  I  believe  Akaitchko  is  right,  too,"  cried 
Mr.  McKenzic  ;  "  and  as  sure  as  I'm  alive,  that 
scoundrel  McDou<;al  is  at  the  bottom  <  f  this. 
These  Indians,  whoever  they  are,  will  be  sure  to 
follow  the  river  bank.  We  must  run  them  down 
if  we  kill  our  horses  in  doin«;  it.  Go  ahead, 
Akaitchko.  You  take  the  lead.  We'll  keep  you 
in  sipjht,  however  fast  you  go." 

Without  waiting  for  another  word,  Akaitchko 
obeyed,  and  the  others,  stringing  out  into  a  long 
Indian  file,  did  not  allow  him  to  leave  them  too 
far  behind,  as  at  a  pace  possible  only  for  perfect 
riders,  he  hurried  on,  making  light  of  the  many 
obstacles  that  crowded  the  way,  and  would  have 
seriously  hindered  less  daring  horsemen. 

Knowing  every  yard  of  the  country  by  heart, 
Akaitchko  was  able  to  avail  himself  of  many  short 
cuts  and  helpful  detours,  whereby  the  speed  of  his 
party  was  made  much  greater  than  that  of  the 
men  he  was  tracking,  and  every  now  and  then  he 
was  encouraged  by  finding  fresh  traces  of  the 
objects  of  his  pursuit.  In  the  excitement  of  the 
hunt,  both  he  and  Mr.  McKenzic  were  able  in 
«onje  measure  to  forget  their  anxiety  about  the 
boys,  and  through  the  long  hours  of  that  day  they 


TO   THE    RESCUE. 


77 


Spared  neither  themselves  nor  their  horses,  until 
at  length  the  coming  of  night  made  further 
progress  impossible. 

It  was  very  trying  to  stop  when  perhaps  they 
were  not  many  miles  behind  the  four  mysterious 
horsemen  ;  but  their  animals  were  exhausted,  and 
any  way  they  were  more  likely  to  lose  ground  than 
to  gain  it  by  proceeding  in  the  dark.  So  a  fire 
was  made,  a  frugal  meal  of  pcmmican  and  tea  pre- 
j)are(l,  and  then,  leaving  one  to  take  his  turn  at 
watching,  the  others  rolled  up  in  their  bison  robes 
and  were  soon  in  slumber  deep. 

If  the  two  fathers  had  known  that  only  ten 
miles  farther  on  their  own  dear  boy.,  were  also  in 
cainp  with  their  captors,  the  darkest  night  that 
ever  came  to  Athabasca  would  hardly  have  pre- 
vented them  from  rushing  forward  to  their  rescue. 
Hut  there  was  no  little  bird  or  fairy  to  tell  them 
this,  and  wearied  with  the  fatigues  and  anxieties 
of  the  day,  they  slept  as  soundly  as  any  of  their 
companions. 

For  some  time  after  Archie  got  back  his 
l)lace  by  the  camp  fire  he  felt  too  excited  t  om- 
j>()sc  himself  to  sleep,  but  at  length  he  fell  .nto  a 
ilccp  dreamless  slumber  from  which  he  .1  not 
awaken  until  broad  daylight.  The  moment  he 
awoke  he  looked  eagerly  about  him,  for  his  first 
thought  was,  **  Have  I  succeeded  }  " 

With  a  delicious  thrill  of  delight  he  saw  that 
he  had.     Not  a  horse  was  to  bo  seen,  and    hree 


78 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


of  the  Indians  had  disappeared  also,  no  doubt  in 
search  of  the  missing  animals.  The  fourth  Indian 
was  sitting  sullenly  by  the  fire  with  his  £dn  across 
his  knees,  and  when  he  noticed  Archie  moving  he 
pointed  it  at  him,  muttering  something  that  clearly 
meant,  **  If  you  make  any  attempt  to  escape,  I'll 
put  a  bullet  into  you." 

But  Archie  was  not  frightened.  He  felt  too 
happy  at  the  success  of  his  scheme.  "  Don't 
look  so  cross,"  he  said  with  a  smile.  "  I'm  not 
going  to  run  away;  I'm  just  going  to  get  some 
breakfast/' 

The  kettle  was  still  on  the  fire  with  some  pem- 
mican  in  it,  and  rousing  Sawtloulai,  Archie  pro- 
ceeded with  his  help  to  scrape  it  clean.  Then, 
feeling  ready  for  anything,  he  sat  down  opposite 
his  surly  j^uardian  to  awaii  developments.  He 
was  quivering  with  suppressed  excitement,  and  ap- 
prehensive lest  the  Quarrelers,  observing  it,  would 
suspect  him  of  having  something  to  do  with  the 
disappearan  ^e  of  the  horses.  But  no  such  notion 
seemed  to  enter  the  stolid  savage's  brain  as  the 
minutes  slipped  by  and  the  sun  rose  higher  in  the 
heavens. 

Comfortable  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Indian  not 
being  able  to  understand  a  word  they  were  saying, 
the  two  boys  talked  freely  together. 

"  Now,  wasn't  my  plan  a  good  one  ? "  asked 
Archie  triumphantly.  "  Don't  you  see,  the  mo- 
ment the  horses  found  themselves  free  they  startcu 


TO   THE    RESCUE. 


79 


out  for  home,  and  the  Indians  have  no  more  chance 
of  catching  them  than  they  have  of  catching  that 
bird,"  pointing  up  to  a  hawk  swooping  swiftly 
through  the  air  above  their  heads. 

"  But  how  do  you  know  the  horses  belonged  to 
the  fort  ? "  asked  Sawtloulai. 

"Oh!  that's  easy  enough,"  replied  Archie. 
"The  Quarrelers  hadn't  any  horses  with  them 
when  they  came.  So  they  must  have  got  them  at 
the  fort.  Then,  another  thing  ;  if  father's  on  our 
track  —  and  I'm  perfectly  sure  he  is  —  he'll  likely  as 
not  meet  those  horses  on  their  way,  and  that'll  tell 
him  we  can't  he  very  far  ahead,  and  he'll  hurry  on 
just  as  fast  as  he  can.  You  see  if  he  doesn't  catch 
up  to  us  to-day.*' 

"  Oh  I  how  I  hope  he  will ! "  exclaimed  Sawt- 
loulai ;  "  I  want  to  get  back.  I'm  afraid  to  be  with 
these  bad  Indians  ; "  and  the  poor  little  fellow 
looked  as  if  he  were  about  to  burst  into  tears. 

Archie  put  his  arm  about  him  tenderly.  **  You 
will  get  back,  Sawtloulai ;  never  fear.  The  great 
God  up  there  will  take  care  of  us  both.  He  won't 
let  these  bad  Indians  do  us  any  harm." 

llis  constant  companionship  with  Archie,  a  com- 
panionship which  extended  even  to  his  sharing 
the  benefits  of  the  factor's  teaching  in  the  winter 
time,  had  given  this  Indian  boy  a  comprehension 
far  beyond  that  of  his  fellows,  and  the  mention  of 
God,  the  mysterious,  all-powerful  Manitou  of  the 
white    men,   to   whom    Mr.    McKcnzie    prayed  so 


8o 


ARCHIE  OF    ATHABASCA. 


often,  calmed  and  comforted  him.  If  Archie  was 
sure  of  such  help,  they  would  certainly  get  out  of 
all  their  troubles  yet.  So  he  set  himself  to  wait 
in  patience. 

Two  hours  passed,  and  Archie  was  beginning  to 
find  the  suspense  intolerable,  when  there  was  a 
rustling  in  the  underbrush  to  the  right,  and  all 
three  sprang  to  their  feet  —  the  Indian  with  finger 
tpon  trigger,  the  boys  with  hearts  throbbing  with 
hope.  But  it  proved  to  be  only  the  other  three 
Indians  returning  from  their  unsuccessful  hunt 
after  the  horses.  They  were  evidently  in  the 
worst  of  humors,  and  the  boys  felt  cold  shivers  of 
apprehension  going  down  their  backs  as  the  angry 
savages  regarded  them  with  looks  whose  meaning 
it  was  not  difficult  to  make  out.  Archie  coula  not 
help  thinking  that  in  some  way  they  held  him 
responsible  for  the  loss  of  the  horses. 

As  (ley  consulted  earnestly  together  he  thought 
to  himself,  "  Oh  !  what  wouldn't  I  <;ive  to  know 
what  they're  talking  about?"  Had  he  been  able 
to  understand  the  succession  of  guttural  grunts 
and  growls  that  did  duty  for  a  language  with  them, 
he  would  have  found  good  cause  for  anxiety.  The 
fact  was,  they  were  in  a  very  serious  dilemma. 
They  had  be  n  bribed  by  the  villainous  McDongal 
to  carry  off  the  boys,  their  reward  being  a  horse,  a 
gun,  and  a  lot  of  ammunition  and  pemmican  apiece. 
They  were  all  the  more  willing  to  undertake  the 
job  because  they  knew  two  such  sturdy  lads  would 


TO   THE    RESCUE. 


8l 


be  welcome  additions  to  their  tribe,  and  especially 
the  white  boy,  whcse  presence  would,  they  thought, 
bring  them  good  luck,  and  insure  them  victory 
over  their  inveterate  enemies,  the  Esquimaux. 
Hut  now,  without  norses  to  carry  them,  what  were 
they  to  do  ?  They  could  not  get  along  as  fast 
with  their  prisoners  as  without  them,  and  if  pur- 
suit were  being  made,  as  was  most  probable,  they 
would  be  overtaken  without  fail.  Then,  if  caught 
with  the  boys  in  their  custody,  what  else  could 
they  expect  than  condign  punishment  at  the  hands 
of  the  enraged  pursuers  ?  The  simplest  way  out 
of  the  difficulty  seemed  to  be  to  make  away  with 
the  boys,  and  then  to  scatter  into  the  woods,  and 
try  and  meet  again  at  the  shore  of  Great  Slave 
Lake  when  all  danger  of  pursuit  was  over. 

This  was  the  plan  proposed  by  the  eldest  of  the 
quartet  and  supported  by  the  youngest.  But 
happily  the  others  were  either  too  tender  or  too 
faint  of  heart  to  agree  off-hand.  They  thought  it 
would  be  better  to  turn  the  boys  adrift  to  shift 
for  themselves  as  best  they  might,  and  to  make 
l;oocI  their  own  retreat  thus  unencumbered  by  their 
captives.  The  discussion  waxed  warm,  and,  as  the 
minutes  dragged  by,  Archie,  waiting  with  intense 
anxiety  for  the  issue,  kept  eye  and  ear  strained 
in  hope  of  detecting  some  sign  of  coming  rescue. 
No  Indian  surpassed  him  in  sharpness  of  sight 
or  keenness  of  hearing,  yet  nothing  could  he  see 
or  hear. 


82 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


At  length  the  eldest  Indian,  getting  into  a  pas- 
sion, brought  the  discussion  suddenly  to  an  end  by 
a  fierce  whoop,  and  ran  to  get  his  gun  which  he 
had  left  wrapped  up  in  his  robe  by  the  fire.  Archie 
guessed  the  meaning  of  this  action,  and  prepared 
to  make  a  struggle  for  his  life.  At  the  same 
moment  there  came  from  the  other  side  of  the 
valley  a  sound  that  sent  a  thrill  of  hope  to  his 
heart.  Was  it  an  answering  whoop,  or  was  it 
only  an  echo?  He  did  not  wait  to  decide.  Cry- 
ing out : 

"  Now,  Sawtloulai  —  for  your  life  ! "  he  gave 
his  companion  a  sharp  push,  and  with  the  leap 
of  a  deer  sprang  off  in  the  direction  whence  the 
sound  had  come,  Sawtloulai  close  at  his  heels. 

So  sudden  was  the  movement,  that  they  had 
made  nearly  twenty  yards  before  the  Indians 
recovered  sufficiently  from  their  surprise  to  start 
after  them.  With  a  furious  grunt,  the  one  who 
had  gone  for  his  gun  took  quick  aim  at  the  fugi- 
tives, and  pulled  the  trigger ;  but  there  only  came 
the  sharp  snap  of  the  cap  as  it  missed  fire.  Dash- 
ing the  gun  to  the  ground,  he  darted  off  after  the 
others,  uttering  another  of  his  awful  whoops. 

It  was  a  magnificent  race.  Archie  and  Sawt- 
loulai were  as  fleet  a  pair  of  boys  as  ever  wore 
moccasins,  and  their  pursuers  were  men  in  the 
prime  of  life.  The  valley  bottom  was  fairly  level, 
and  the  grass,  thick  and  dry,  made  a  springy 
cushion  for  the  feet.     The  boys  were  in  far  better 


TO   THE   RESCUE. 


83 


condition  than  the  Indians,  the  latter  being  much 
the  worse  for  their  late  "drinking  match."  For 
a  short  distance  the  odds  were  decidedly  with 
the  lads.  But  where  and  how  was  the  desperate 
struggle  to  end  ? 

Across  the  level  the  runners  sped,  and  up  the 
farther  slope,  whose  ascent  caused  their  speed  to 
slacken,  and  brought  their  pursuers  nearer.  They 
were  already  losing  breath  and  strength,  and  little 
Sawtloulai,  lagging  bwhind,  was  but  a  few  yards 
ahead  of  the  foremost  Indian,  when  from  above 
them  the  whoop  that  Archie's  acute  ear  had 
caught  a  few  moments  before  rang  out  again,  and 
mingled  with  it  a  glad  "  Hurrah!  "  that  he  knew 
at  once  came  from  his  father's  throat.  He  looked 
up  in  joy  inexpressible.  Upon  the  C(.\g;e  of  the 
slope  stood  his  father  and  Akaitchko,  with  guns 
at  shoulder. 

"  Down,  Sawtloulai,  down  !  "  shrieked  Archie. 
Instantly  the  boys  dropped  to  the  earth;  and  at 
the  same  moment  the  two  men  pulled  trigger. 
There  was  no  empty  snap  of  caps  this  time.  A 
single  report  awoke  the  echoes  of  the  valley,  and 
the  two  foremost  Indians,  each  with  a  bullet  in 
his  brain,  plunged  headlong  to  the  ground,  while 
their  companions  turned  and  fled  backward  in 
wild  dismay. 

Springing  from  their  horses,  the  two  men 
rushed  down  the  slope,  and  clasped  their  boys  in 
a  passionate  embrace. 


#. 


t^ 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


i.u   jr 


I.I 


11.25 


M    125 


lU 


I 


2.2 


1.4 


2.0 

1.6 


<^ 


y] 


A 


.^ 


^' 


^^l^"^' 


O^. 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


33  MIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WMSTIR,  N.Y.  MSM 

(716)  173-4503 


'^ 


S'^s 


84 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


"  Thank  God  !  thank  God  !  "  was  all  the  factor 
could  say,  while  tears  of  joy  streamed  down  his 
cheeks.     *'  YouVe  not  hurt,  laddie,  are  you  ?  " 

**  Hurt,  father  ?  "  laughed  Archie  joyfully. 
'*  Not  a  bit.     Only  a  little  out  of  breath." 

As  if  to  make  sure  that  he  was  correct,  Mr.  Mc- 
Kenzie  held  him  at  arm's  length,  looked  him  all 
over,  and  then  gave  him  another  hug. 

"Oh  !  Archie  lad,  but  my  heart's  light  again," 
he  cried.     "  Come  now,  and  tell  me  all  about  it." 

If  not  quite  so  demonstrative,  yet  no  less  sin- 
cere was  the  old  hunter's  greeting  of  his  favorite 
son,  and  Sawtloulai  almost  forgot  how  much  he 
had  suffered,  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  father's 
unusual  exhibition  of  affection. 

Meanwhile,  the  two  Quarrelers  had  been  run- 
ning for  dear  life  to  the  cover  of  the  forest,  and, 
by  the  time  Mr.  McKenzie  thought  of  them,  had 
vanished  into  its  depths.  Akaitchko,  re-loading 
his  gun,  asked  if  he  should  follow  them. 

"  No  —  no,"  was  the  answer.  "  We've  got  our 
boys  —  and  those,"  pointing  at  the  motionless 
forms  upon  the  ground,  "have  paid  dearly  for 
their  crime.  That's  revenge  enough.  Let  us 
cac/ie  their  corpses,  and  get  back  to  the  fort  as 
quick  as  we  can." 

The  two  fathers  had  outstripped  the  rest  of  the 
party  in  their  eager  pursuit,  and  it  was  some  little 
time  before  the  other  men  came  up.  When  they 
did,    the   bodies   were   buried    in  a  huge   pile   of 


TO   THE    RESCUE. 


8s 


Stones,  to  protect  them  from  wild  beasts,  and 
their  guns  and  robes  at  the  camp  having  been 
gathered  up,  the  homeward  journey  was  begun, 
both  Archie  and  Sawtloulai  having  horses  to  ride, 
because  their  rescuers,  by  great  good  luck,  had 
caught  two  out  of  the  four  of  which  the  Quar- 
relers had  been  so  cleverly  deprived. 

As  they  rode  along  together,  Archie,  with  great 
gusto,  and  a  pleasant  sense  of  having  borne  him- 
self very  creditably,  related  all  that  had  happened 
to  him  since  he  was  carried  off  by  the  Indians  ; 
how  he  had  been  suddenly  seized,  and  bound,  and 
hurried  away  ;  how  all  that  night  he  had  traveled 
without  rest ;  how,  during  the  following  day,  he 
had  thought  out  the  scheme  for  his  own  deliv- 
erance, and  how  successful  it  had  proved.  The 
factor's  heart  glowed  with  pride  at  the  recital. 
Truly,  his  was  a  son  to  boast  of,  and  one  from 
whom  the  very  best  things  might  confidently 
be  expected.  Such  courage,  such  cunning,  such 
coolness  would  command  success  anywhere. 

"You  are  well  worth  rescuing,  Archie,"  said 
he,  looking  fondly  at  his  boy.  "  For  all  the 
trouble  you  have  cost  me,  you  will  repay  me  a 
hundred  fold  in  due  time." 

*'  I  hope  so,  father,"  responded  Archie  brightly. 
"  And  this  I'U  promise  you,  that  if  ever  anybody 
cariies  you  off,  I'll  try  and  do  as  much  for  you  as 
you  have  just  done  for  me." 

"  May  you  never  get  the  chance,  my  boy,"  said 


86 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


the  factor  ;  **  but  if  Providence  sliould  so  will  it, 
I  have  no  fear  but  you  will  do  your  duty." 

Little  did  cither  of  them  dream  that  the  future 
held  in  store  for  Archie  the  opportunity  to  make 
good  his  words,  which  were  not,  indeed,  spoken  in 
jest,  but  in  real  earnest,  although  the  event  they 
contenii>lated  seemed  about  as  remote  a  possibility 
as  could  well  be. 

They  reached  the  fort  early  the  following  morn- 
ing, to  be  welcomed  with  tears  of  joy  by  Mrs. 
McKenzie,  and  smiles  of  gladness  by  Rose-Marie, 
both  of  whom  showed  in  their  pale  faces  the  tokens 
of  the  anxious  hours  of  waiting  they  had  spent. 

•*  O,  my  darling  boy !  "  cried  Mrs.  McKenzie, 
folding  Archie  to  her  breast.  *'  What  would  I 
have  done  if  you  had  never  come  back  to  me  ?  " 
And  Archie  was  not  ashamed  to  return  the  em- 
brace with  interest,  in  proof  of  how  deeply  he 
himself  had  felt. 

They  had  a  long  talk  together  over  the  matter, 
Mr.  McKenzie's  suspicions  that  the  factor  of  Fort 
Wedderburne  was  the  instigator  of  the  attempt 
upon  Archie  having  grown  into  a  conviction,  and 
yet  he  could  not  see  his  way  clearly  to  bringing 
the  matter  home  to  his  rival.  He  now  began  to 
regret  that  he  had  not  captured  the  two  Quar- 
relers who  survived,  and  extracted  in  some  way 
from  them  the  information  which  he  felt  sure 
they  could  give.  By  use  of  the  sign  language, 
which  all  Indians  use  more  or   less,  they  might 


TO    THE    RESCUE. 


87 


have  been  made  to  understand  what  was  wanted 
of  them,  and  so  lon^  as  the  bribe  was  big  enough, 
there  was  not  much  fear  of  their  persistently 
refusing  to  reveal  the  truth. 

lUit  it  was  no  use  crying  over  spilt  milk.  In 
his  joy  at  recovering  his  son,  he  had  for  the  mo- 
ment forgotten  everything  else,  and  now  the  only 
witnesses  agninst  McDougal  were  utterly  out  of 
reach.  Yet  he  could  not  deny  himself  the  satis- 
faction of  letting  the  scoundrel  know  that  his  part 
in  the  matter  was  well  understood,  even  if  it  could 
not  have  been  proved  in  a  court  of  justice.  So, 
taking  Archie  with  him,  and  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Wentzel,  he  went  over  to  Fort  Wedderburne  that 
very  afternoon. 

They  found  the  factor  alone  in  his  room.  There 
was  not  much  standing  upon  ceremony  in  that 
primitive  society,  and  having  knocked  at  the  door, 
and  been  ordered  in  a  gruff  voice  to  "  come  in," 
they  had  entered  without  further  ceremony.  The 
moment  his  eyes  fell  upon  Archie,  the  factor 
started,  and  a  guilty  flush  spread  over  his  face. 
Then,  recovering  himself  by  an  evident  effort,  he 
rose  irom  his  chair,  and  invited  his  visitors  to  take 
seats,  and  make  themselves  at  home.  Mr.  Mc- 
Kenzie  and  Mr.  Wentzel  exchanged  meaning  looks 
as  Mr.  McDougal  covered  his  confusion  by  hjs- 
tling  about  the  room. 

Mr.  McKenzie  then  inquired  if  the  factor  had 
lost  any  of  his  horecs. 


ss 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


"  That  I  have  !  "  exclaimed  he,  with  a  great 
show  of  indignation.  "  Those  Quarrelers  ran 
away  with  four  of  the  best  of  them." 

"  The  horses  were  not  given  them,  then  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  McKenzie  meaningly. 

"  Given  them  .?  "  roared  McDougal.  **  Do  you 
think  it's  likely  I'd  waste  my  horses  upon  such 
miserable  beggars  as  those .?  " 

**  Possibly  not ;  although  why  not  horses  as  well 
as  guns  ?  "  replied  Mr.  McKenzie,  looking  at  him 
very  hard,  and  then  continuing  :  "  But  I  had  a 
reason  in  asking  about  the  horses,"  and  \yithout 
more  ado  he  proceeded  to  tell  the  whole  story  of 
Archie's  capture  and  rescue,  and  how  two  of  the 
Quarrelers  had  lost  their  lives.  The  countenance 
of  the  baffled  rascal  during  this  recital  was  an 
amusing  study.  He  realized  clearly  that  his 
guilt  was  known,  and  that  the  three  before  him 
had  come  over  for  the  express  purpose  of  letting 
him  know  that  it  was  known. 

He  longed  to  rise  and  command  them  to  be 
gone,  but  he  was  shrewd  enough  to  understand 
that  this  would  be  a  most  impolitic  proceeding. 
So,  keeping  himself  under  control,  he  heard  the 
story  out,  and  then  got  rid  of  his  unwelcome  visi- 
tors with  the  best  grace  he  could  muster,  giving 
vent  to  his  pent-up  feelings  the  moment  they  had 
disappeared. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


WINTER  AT    FORT   CHIPEWYAN. 


A 


N  Athabasca  winter  is  no  trifling  matter. 
The  Frost  King  is  monarch  of  all  he  sur- 
veys, and  even  though  there  may  be  some  who 
feel  disposed  to  dispute  his  right  to  freeze  their 
noses  and  congeal  their  cheeks,  he  receives  their 
protests  with  cool  indifference,  and  continues  his 
mischievous  work  with  unabated  zeal. 

His  advance  agents,  the  early  snow-storms,  first 
make  their  appearance  about  mid-October,  but 
only  for  a  flying  visit.  They  come  in  the  evening, 
perhaps,  stay  all  night,  and  vanish  before  the 
morning  sunshine.  Later  on,  they  reappear  in 
greater  force,  and  prolong  their  stay  until  at  last, 
by  the  end  of  November,  the  ground  having  been 
prepared  for  them  in  the  meantime,  they  enter 
into  full  possession,  and  far  and  near,  from  horizon 
to  horizon,  the  prairie  is  covered  with  the  white 
robes  of  winter. 

Then  the  autumn  blasts,  upon  whose  bosoms  the 

89 


9C3 


ARCHIK    OF    ATHAIUSCA. 


stiowflakcs  have  V)ccn  borne,  having  done  their 
work,  sink  to  rest,  and  the  h)ng,  still,  coUl  winter 
has  fairly  begun. 

Mr.  IMcKenzie  was  )t  at  all  sorry  when  the 
snv>w  came.  During  (1  hasle  ami  bustle  of  tlie 
brief  summer,  many  things  had  to  be  left  untlone 
that  the  ample  leisure  of  the  winter  permitted  him 
t*>  aeeomplish,  and  moreover  it  gave  him  much 
more  lime  with  his  family,  a  privilege  which  he 
htMrtily  appreciated.  T'or  the  very  same  reason 
Mrs.  McKenzie  antl  Rose-Marie  shared  his  views, 
but  Archie  held  an  entirely  dilTercnt  opinion.  He 
could  see  no  fun  in  the  close  confinement  the 
intense  and  incessant  cold  made  necessary.  He 
found  it  very  hanl  to  endure  this  patiently.  T'*?re 
was,  of  course,  a  certain  amount  of  snow-shoeing 
and  tobogganing  to  be  done,  but  even  these  amuse- 
ments became  rather  monotonous  when  they  were 
the  only  ones,  and  he  looked  forward  with  no 
little  impatience  to  the  return  of  spring,  when 
with  the  warm  days  came  freedom  to  do  just  what 
he  pleased. 

The  programme  of  his  day  ran  pretty  much  as 
follows  :  In  the  first  place  —  and  here,  no  doubt, 
many  another  boy  would  heartily  envy  him — he 
tumbled  out  of  his  warm  bed  into  the  frosty 
atmosphere  of  his  room  just  whenever  he  liked. 
There  was  no  nine  o'clock  school  at  Fort  Chipc 
wyan,  nor  anything  else  to  make  it  necessary  for 
our  young  hero  to  get  up  at  any  particular  time, 


WINTKR    AT    FORT    Cim'KWYAN. 


91 


especially  as  lie  knew  that  his  fond  mother  would 
have  breakfast  hot  fot  him  whenever  he  appeared, 
riicrrfore,  if  his  do^^  l'.«iaiyc  (TViend),  the  f^ift  of 
an  IndiaJi  (hief,  and  a  ereatnrc  of  extraordinary 
sa^;acity,  rnhbed  his  cold  nose  against  his  face  and 
so  ehallenf^ed  him  sooner  than  he  felt  inclined  to 
respond,  he  could  with  an  easy  conscience  say 
with  the  slu;;;;ard  f)f  the  nursery  rhyme,  "  You 
have  waked  me  too  soon,  I  must  slumber  again," 
and  turn  over  for  another  nap. 

As  the  McKenzic  household,  however,  was  run 
on  the  sound  j)rinciplc,  "early  to  bed  and  early  to 
rise,"  Archie  did  not  often  feel  tempted  to  lie  lon<^ 
abed,  but,  obeying  Ivlaiye's  gentle  hint,  would 
roll  out  of  the  bed-clothes,  and  plunge  into  his 
own  clothes  with  all  possible  dispatch,  for  there 
were  no  hall  stoves  or  registers  at  the  fort,  and 
the  only  warm  ])lace  was  the  living-room,  where 
glorious  wood  fues  crackling  and  roaring  upon  a 
hearth  that  occupied  one  whole  side  of  the  room, 
waged  successful  battle  with  the  cold  so  long  as 
they  were  faithfully  attended  to. 

After  breakfast  the  factor  always  had  prayers  — 
Mr.  Wentzel,  Mr.  Stewart,  Mr.  Robertson  and 
Mr.  McGillvray  generally  joining  in  the  service, 
which  consisted  of  the  singing  of  a  few  verses  of 
a  Psalm,  the  reading  of  a  passage  from  the  Bible, 
and  then  a  brief  but  fervent  nvaver  from  Mr.  Mc- 
Kcnzie.  This  over,  Archie  was  free  to  do  as  he 
pleased,  unless   his  father   should,  as  sometimes 


Q2 


AK«  niK    or    A  I  MAM  \S("A. 


b;\]>pon(Nl,  WiuU  Ins  lirlp   In    tlio  Rl(>rclu»nst\  wlirtc* 


H' 


tluMO    \v;\s   alwMNS   soinct liiii*;    lo    l>o    done   to    ll 
^ooils  or  i\ns,  o;  in   the  olVut*  wlu^n^  \Uc  niH-onnl 


wore 


Ut'pl 


lU'siJv^s  l'M;\ivr,  Arrbio  h.-nl  ;\  foUowrr  wlio  vied 
with  tho  «U\;;  in  l\is  iUn'(>li«>n,  and  Ihnt  was  S,«\vl- 
loul.ii,  Sinvothoir  aJvontnro  with  llic  (^.>n;niol(Ms 
tlio  liltlo  iolUnv  was  nuMO  tlian  over  wiapt  up  in 
his  ••  whilo  hrothiM,"  and  as  stnr  as  Aiclno  W(M)1 
i>ut  oi  a  niornin;;,  no  mat  tor  what  the  weather 
niii^lU  he,  he  found  the  Indian  hoy  waitinj;  fi)r  him 
ns  patiently  as  the  ininivMt.il  lanil>  that  Mary  liad. 
He  really  seenieil  to  know  no  liapjiiness  npatt 
ivo\\\  Arehie,  aiul  his  absolute  submission  to  the 
lattet's  will  wouUl  haye  s]>oih^l  a  boy  loss  somul  at 
heart,  aiul  led  him  li>  tyrannize  oyer  his  dusky  suh- 
jeet.  ln:t  instead  ot  playini;  the  part  ol  tyrant, 
Arehie  much  preferred  that  of  patrtm  and  j^rotec- 
tor.  with  thv^  result  of  maintaining;  a  relation  that 
was  ereditabic  to  himself  and  eminently  satisfac- 
tory to  Sawtloulai. 

With  Sawtloulai  and  I*!daiyc  in  willinj;  atten- 
daneo,  then  Arehie  would  sally  forth,  warmly 
wrapped  in  furs,  to  find  amusement  for  the  few 
hours  of  daylight.  Sometimes,  gathering  together 
the  other  boys  about  the  fort,  of  whom  there  were 
a  dozen  or  so,  Indians  and  half-breeds,  they  all 
would  take  their  toboggans  and  go  oyer  to  a  long 
steep  slope  that  ended  at  the  edge  of  the  lake,  and 
offered  a  perfect  natural   slide.     If  the  cold  did 


WINirU    AT    rOKT    (  ntlMCWVAN. 


93 


not  I)i(n  too  keenly  tliiq  was  {^^ratid  fun,  for  of 
(■(Mirsc  ihry  had  larcs,  and  trials  as  tf)  who  could 
jM)  (ho  farthest,  and  eoniparison  of  skill  in  stand- 
JM}',  \\\),  and  all  that  sort  of  thin^.  Archie  stood 
cMsily  lirst  at  these  sports,  and  lofjjM'd  for  more 
serious  opposition  than  any  of  his  phiyfnates  could 
I'ive  him,  so  that  he  was  very  j/lad  when  now  and 
I  hen  Mr.  Wentzel,  or  one  of  the  other  clerks,  would 
( oine  down  with  his  tol)0|^^an  and  challeuf^c  him 
lo  a  contest  f)f  speed  and  skill.  Then  there  would 
he  f;reat  excitement.  All  other  slidini;  would  be 
suspended  to  w.itch  the  struf^f^^le.  'I'he  spectators' 
sympathies  were  all  with  Archie,  anrl  if  he  wfm 
they  would  split  the  air  with  joyous  whoo|)S,  while 
if  he  were  beaten  they  would  disappointedly  ^runt, 
"  U};h  !  u^h  I"  and  scowl  at  the  audacious  victor. 
Hesides  the  toboj^j^anin^,  the  boys  had  another 
resource  in  which  they  took  even  more  delicrht, 
and  that  was  trappin^^.  As  has  been  already  men* 
tinned,  the  skirts  of  the  pjreat  northern  forest 
reached  wcll-nij;h  to  the  lake,  and  among  its  mys- 
terious mazes  the  bear,  lynx,  wolverine,  marten, 
mink,  and  other  animals  whose  ill-fortune  it  is  to 
wear  valuable  skins,  had  their  lairs,  while  the  foxes 
swarmed  everywhere,  and  the  wolves  ran  about  in 
howling;  packs  seeking  what  they  mi;^ht  devour. 
Then  at  intervals  along  the  course  of  the  river 
were  colonies  of  beaver  living  cosily  in  their 
domed  dwellings,  veritable  citadels  for  strength, 
and  to  be  stormed  only  by  well-equipped  assailants. 


04 


AKrniK  o\'    ArnAnAS(  A. 


Aiilno  \vAi\  A  voty  ttMidtM-  sp()l  in  Ins  IkmiI 
toi  \\\r  \h;\\CV.  \\c  ko\]\A  nol  l;tkc  MHypU^isiiK* 
\u  Killni!^  thrin.  llu-y  srcMiuMl  siuli  woihIcm  Inllv 
t'lovn .  mtoti  stiuj;  anipials  ihal  ho  thoii};!)!  il  nolh 
mi;  v^lsr  lh.\n  a  sl);nno  lo  lako  iwvay  Ihoii  livrs, 
o\AM\  il  tluMT  c»>;\ts  won'  so  well  woilli  llu*  troiiMc 
of  si\Mn  itij;. 

This  ioolinv;  was  xhm  v  nuirh  stnM)j;thriiO(l  lyv 
what  ho  saw  ono  siininuM  allorn(M)n,  whon  with 
Sawtionlai  aiul  ]'M;\ivo  ho  luul  boon  lollnwin^  np  a 
litllo  stioani  that  loll  into  Iho  lako  n«>l  fat  Iroin  tho 
ioit.  Thov  woio  nuuh  tlolii;hto»l  at  t-oinini;  npon 
A  boavor  ooli>nv  ol  whoso  oxistonoo  thoy  had  nol 
pro\  ionsh  known  ;  and  orooping  up  very  oautionsly 
thov  woro  a]>lo  li>  watch  tho  proooodini;s  ot  tho 
busy  liltlo  animals  tor  a  loni;  time,  without  thoii 
prosonoo  boinj;  vlotootod.  Tcllinj;  his  mother  and 
Koso-Maric  abo\it  it   on   his  return  lu>me,  i^o  said  : 

*'  l^ut  oh  !  it  von  eouKl  onlv  h.ivo  seen  the  five 
little  babv  beavers  there  plavini;  with  one  another, 
I'm  sure  vou'd  never  w.uU  to  kill  a  beaver  a^ain." 

**  I'm  sure  I  never  wanted  io  kill  a  beaver  at  any 
time.  Arohie  dear,"  smiled  his  mother. 

••  C"^,  no  I  ot  course  you  don't,  but  father  and  the 
rest  ot  them  do,  and  it  just  seems  to  mo  cruel 
when  I  hey  are  so  clover  and  so  harmless.*' 

**  Put  tell  us  about  tho  tivo  little  baby  beavers, 
Archie,"  broke  in  Rose-Mario,  impatient  for  the 
story. 

Don't   be  in   such  a  hurry,  sister.     Tm   just 


*t 


WrNII.K    Al     I'OKI     (  liri'KWVAN. 


95 


||)(M>   ;iu<l    s('rif)(r    tlictii    ;ill    ;it   wnrk,  Wf    noti(ff|    a 
|,il   lilll('  ((  ll<»\v  r  liiiih  ii|i  (»ii    (  I(i<.^    jiisf  f>ii  flic  ff|{fc 


nf  llir  vv.ifci,  Mild  vvlnlr  Im'  s;it  th'-rr  Miiikint^  in 
(lie  !;nn,  ;nnl  Innkiiijr  ;i<.;  jf  |ic  jIkhij',!)!  ;i  y/un]  f|(';il 
ol  liimscll.  ;iI(»m;;  came  ;iiH»tli(f  just  like  linn,  ;in(l 
}Mvin;;  liim  ;i  push  sent  liiin  licid  first  into  tli(! 
w.itiM,  while  h(*  ;»t  once  (  jinrord  into  his  phicc. 
Then  the  onr  ih.it  w.is  onshcci  off  cinir  h.K  k  ;ind 
upset  the  other,  nnd  they  kept  this  up  for  sorn(! 
limn,  three  others  jirescntly  (omin^  .'don;^  to  join 
in  the  Inn,  and  then  the  whoh;  five  went  in  for 
a  t;reat  time.  They  playecl  with  oik"  another 
jnsl  like  little  children,  and  they  looked  like  chih 
(hen,  too,  niother,  indeed   they  did,"  adder!  Archie 


eai  nes 


tly. 


l( 


I 


\\\  snre 


tl 


le 


y  were 


talk 


iiiL'   to  one 


another,   and    anyhody   eonid  sec   that   they    were 
lau'-hiiiL;,  jnst  as  w(   do  " 

Mrs.  McKen/,ie  smiled  half  incrcdnlously,  but 
Rose- Marie,  aeceptin;;  every  word,  eried  ont 
eaL;(Mly  :  "  (),  Archie  !  how  I'd  like  to  see  the  little 
dears.  Won't  you  take  mc  some  day  ?  And  what 
else  did  the  beavers  do  .<* " 


"  Why,  they  played  about  .)n  the  lor^  for  a  lon^; 
time,  pnsbin^ij  one  another,  and  playinf^  chase  in 
the  water,  until  Kdaiyc  j^avc  a  bark  which  scared 
them  out  of  their  lives,  and  they  dived  into  the 
ntcr,  and  vvc  didn't  sec  them  any  more.  But  I 
toll  you  what  it  is,  I  don't  see  where  the  fun 
comes  in  of  killinjr  such  creatures  as  those." 


w 


i 


96 


ARCHIE    OF   ATHABASCA. 


"  Tm  glad  my  boy  has  such  a  tender  heart," 
said  Mrs.  McKenzie,  beaming  proudly  upon  him  ; 
"  and  I  hope  he  will  always  keep  it  tender.'* 

But  Archie  had  no  such  compunction  about  any 
of  the  other  fur-bearing  animals.  They  were  all 
fish  when  they  came  to  his  net,  and  there  was 
nothing  he  enjoyed  better  than  to  accompany 
Akaitchko  when  he  made  the  round  of  his  traps. 
No  matter  how  cold  the  weather  might  be,  he  was 
always  ready  to  50,  and  this  last  winter  he  and 
Sawtloulai  had  been  running  a  line  of  traps  of 
their  own,  in  which  they  caught  many  a  mink  and 
marten.  Akaitchko  showed  them  how  to  prepare 
the  traps,  and  went  with  them  iij  their  rounds,  as 
Mr.  McKenzie  did  not  think  it  prudent  for  them 
to  go  alone.  Sometimes  he  would  accompany 
them  himself,  and  then,  oh !  how  proud  the  boys 
felt  if  their  artful  snares  were  found  to  have 
proved  successful. 

The  traps  used  were  of  two  kinds.  For  the 
larger  animals  it  was  a  steel  affair  much  like  an 
ordinary  rat-trap,  only  about  twice  as  big,  and  with- 
out teeth,  and  with  two  springs  instea  1  of  one.  To 
one  of  the  springs  a  chain  was  fastened  having  a 
weight  at  the  end  so  that  the  animal  could  not 
drag  the  trap  off,  and  thus  escape.  In  setting 
this  trap  it  was  spread  out  flat,  and  just  covered 
with  snow,  while  upon  it  and  around  it  chips  of 
frozen  meat  or  fish  were  temptingly  scattered. 
This  bait  would  be  the  only  sign  of  the  presence 


WINTER   AT    FORT    CHIPEWYAN. 


97 


of  the  trap,  and  the  animals  never  become  so 
shrewd  as  to  understand  that  a  free  lunch  in  the 
wilderness  of  the  North,  is  a  no  less  dangerous 
temptation  than  it  is  in  the  cities  to  the  South. 
They  greedily  take  what  is  given  them,  asking  no 
questions  for  conscience  sakt,  and  the  first  thing 
they  know  they  have  put  their  foot  in  it. 

The  trappers  prefer  that  while  they  are  about  it 
they  should  put  both  feet  in  it,  because  then  they 
cannot  drag  the  trap  any  distance,  nor  can  they 
escape  the  way  that  they  do  sometimes  when  only 
one  foot  is  caught;  by  eating  that  unfortunate 
member  off  close  to  the  trap,  and  hobbling  away 
sadder  if  not  wiser  for  the  experience. 

For  the  smaller  animals  a  home-made  trap  was 
used,  it  being  simply  two  logs,  one  of  which  was 
supported  over  the  other  by  means  of  a  small 
stick,  in  such  a  manner  that  when  the  mink  or 
marten  crept  between  the  two  and  pulled  the  bait, 
he  pulled  the  support  away,  too,  and  down  came 
the  upper  log  upon  his  back,  crushing  him  flat. 

In  order  to  encourage  enterprise  on  his  part, 
Mr.  McKenzie  kept  an  account  with  Archie,  in 
which  he  was  credited  with  every  skin  he  brought 
in,  and  there  being  no  opportunity  at  the  fort  to 
spend  his  earnings,  he  was  accordingly  laying  up 
quite  a  snug  little  balance  which  would  some  day 
come  in  very  handy.  Some  time  ago  he  had  ad- 
mitted Sawtloulai  into  a  junioi  partnership,  and 
the  two  worked  along  together  most  harmoniously, 


98 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


Ill 


for  Archie  did  the  thinking  for  both,  and  the 
little  Indian  was  really  but  another  pair  of  hands 
for  him,  and  a  very  deft  pair  they  were,  too. 
Going  the  rounds  of  the  traps,  a  business  that  had 
to  be  attended  to  every  two  or  three  days,  was  a 
very  interesting,  and  sometimes  exciting  piece  of 
work,  and  they  both  looked  forward  eagerly  to  the 
day  when  they  could  go  off  trapping  on  their  own 
account,  and  without  Akaitchko  or  Mr.  Wentzel 
in  charge. 

The  present  winter  had  so  far  not  been  a  good 
one  for  the  young  trappers.  They  had  set  and 
baited  their  traps  again  and  again  with  deepest 
cunning,  and  come  back  full  of  hope,  only  to  find 
they  had  drawn  a  blank.  Now  the  bait  would  all 
be  gobbled  up,  and  not  a  trap  sprung ;  again  the 
only  trophy  would  be  a  fox's  foot  gnawed  off 
close  to  the  cruel  spring  by  Reynard,  or,  what  was 
most  exasperating  of  all,  they  would  find  that  the 
trap  had  done  its  work,  and  caught  a  good  mink 
or  marten,  but  that  the  pest  and  plague  of  the 
Canadian  trapper,  the  hateful  carcajou  or  wolver- 
ine, had  come  along,  and  *•  made  raggles  "  of  the 
defenseless  captive. 

This  latter  aggravation  had  happened  several 
times  of  late,  and  the  boys'  hearts  were  burning 
with  desire  for  revenge  upon  their  tormentor. 
With  Akaitchko's  aid  they  set  trap  after  trap 
for  him  with  nicest  care,  but  in  vain.  Detecting 
its  exact   position,  in    some  mysterious   way  he 


WINTER  AT  FORT  CHIPEWYAN. 


99 


would  burrow  underneath,  and  steal  the  bait  with- 
out disturbing  the  spring,  or,  waiting  until  some 
other  animal  had  paid  the  penalty  of  venturing  too 
near,  he  would  coolly  devour  both  it  and  the  bait. 

However,  it's  a  long  lane  that  has  no  turning. 
The  boys  persevered,  and  in  the  end  they  got 
»heir  reward,  although  not  without  a  struggle. 
They  had  gone  out  for  the  afternoon,  under  the 
old  Indian's  care,  as  usual.  It  was  a  very  cold, 
but  perfectly  still  day.  The  sun  shone  down 
from  a  cloudless  sky,  yet  seemed  to  have  no 
warmth  in  its  rays.  The  boys*  breath,  as  they 
pressed  forward,  blew  back  and  froze  upon  the 
mufflings  of  their  necks  and  ears.  They  had  to 
watch  their  noses  carefully,  lest  Jack  Frost  should 
turn  them  into  marble.  But  they  did  not  mind 
the  cold  as,  clad  in  fur  from  head  to  heel,  and 
shod  with  snow-shoes,  they  slipped  rapidly  over 
the  undulating  drifts  in  the  wake  of  Akaitchko. 
The  carcajou  had  been  growing  more  and  more 
daring,  and  they  more  and  more  determined  to 
catch  him.  Apparently,  the  way  he  looked  at  it 
was  that  a  kind  Providence  was  supplying  him 
with  abundant  food,  in  the  form  of  bait  or  ready- 
caught  prey,  and  he  proposed  to  enjoy  the  situa- 
tion so  lone:  as  it  continued.  In  order  to  deceive 
the  wily  animal,  they  placed  the  traps  in  a  differ- 
ent spot  each  time,  and  had  thus  been  gradually 
working  away  from  the  fort,  until  now  the  end  of 
the  line  was  nearly  two  miles  distant. 


100 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


I  '! 


In  the  first  few  traps  they  found  nothing,  but 
presently  came  to  one  containing  the  shreds  of 
what  had  once  been  a  fine  mink. 

*'  Confound  the  brute  ! "  cried  Archie  wrath- 
fuUy.  "  Here's  some  more  of  his  work.  Oh  !  if 
I  could  only  get  my  hands  upon  him." 

"  Take  care  him  don't  get  him's  claws  in  you, 
Archie,"  said  the  old  Indian  significantly.  **  Him 
bite  like  devil,  certain  sure." 

"  Oh  !  I'll  take  good  care  of  that,  Akaitchko," 
replied  Archie.     "  I  know  what  he  can  do." 

They  were  approaching  the  end  of  the  line  as 
they  talked,  and  whcii  they  reaches'  it  Archie 
stopped  short,  looked  all  around  him  with  a  sur- 
prised expression,  thrust  the  ramrod  of  his  gun 
into  the  snow,  and  finally  exclaimed: 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  that  ?  That 
blessed  carcajou  has  not  only  eaten  the  mink,  but 
I  believe  he's  eaten  my  trap,  too.  This  is  the 
very  place  I  set  it ;  I  know  it  by  that  blaze  on 
the  tree." 

Akaitchko  smiled  in  an  amused,  superior  way. 

"  Carcajou  got  strong  teeth  ;  but  can't  eat  traps, 
all  the  same.  Most  likely  traps  bite  him.  He 
try  run  away  ;  see  }  " 

"  To  be  sure,"  said  Archie,  his  face  radiant  at 
the  thought.  "  The  brute  can't  have  gone  far 
with  that  heavy  trap.  Let's  see  who'll  find  him 
first." 

There  had  been  a  slight  fall  of  snow  during  the 


WINTER   AT   FORT   CHIPEWYAN. 


lOI 


morning,  so  that  whatever  marks  the  wolverine 
might  have  made  were  completely  hidden  ;  but, 
determined  to  hunt  him  up,  the  three  trappers 
went  off  in  different  directions  to  examine  the 
underbrush,  which  was  very  thick  thereabouts. 
Akaitchko  took  the  right  hand,  and  the  boys,  not 
far  apart,  took  the  left.  It  was  not  easy  work 
getting  through  the  underbrush  on  snow-shoes, 
yet  the  snow  was  too  deep  to  permit  of  laying  the 
shoes  aside.  They  had  left  their  guns  at  the  foot 
of  the  blazed  tree,  and  were  armed  only  with  a 
hunting  knife  and  small  hatchet  apiece. 

Now  stooping  low  to  avoid  a  snow-laden  branch, 
and  again  springing  over  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree, 
they  made  their  way  carefully  through  the  dense 
growth  of  young  timber,  not  knowing  at  what 
moment  they  might  encounter  the  object  of  their 
search.  After  a  good  deal  of  this,  Archie,  think- 
ing it  quite  enough,  called  across  to  Sawtloulai: 

"  He  couldn't  drag  that  trap  as  far  as  this. 
Let's  go  back  to  the  tree  on  another  track." 

*'  All  right,"  shouted  Sawtloulai,  and  so,  leav- 
ing Akaitchko  to  his  own  devices,  they  retraced 
their  steps.  The  little  Indian  was  alone ;  but 
Archie  had  Edaiye  with  him,  and  tried  to  keep 
close  behind  the  eager  animal,  who  seemed  thor- 
oughly to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  hunt.  Sud- 
denly there  was  an  exclamation  from  Sawtloulai, 
followed  quickly  by  a  cry  of  alarm,  the  harsh  growl 
of  some  furious  creature,  and  the  fierce  rattling  of 


\r2 


Aunnr-    or    AinAMAsrA, 


on  \;H1um  viurlosslv,  Smvllonlai  h;ul  ronu^  lo  .\ 
I.^IKmi  tirr,  whii  h  Imv  not  liKv  vmds  lion»  whiic 
iho  {\.\\>  h,»<l  l>t>M<  sot,  MntI,  withoiil  pMusinj;  to 
oo»)si»iot    wlu  tluM  or  not    thoio  nii.^JU    bi'  anythinj; 


w    tbi 


^tl 


OHUM     SlvtO    o 


.1    it.   1 


u^   attiMn] 


>t«Ml     1 


o   s 


pnuj 


o\ 


o»    it        \[    WAS   \\o{    A   biii   tvoo,   Init   ono  i.iuiot 


^« 


t.UvO  nnu  1>  of  a  jmnp  i>n  snow  shoos.  ;nnl  instoad 
of  vlo;uin;;  it  no.\tlv.  tlio  too  ol  Ins  lolt  slioc 
o;ui_i;ht    .\t    tlio  tv>|\  AwA   \\c  took   ;\    lu\uli'r  into  tlu' 


(too)>  sn^nv  v 


>\\   tho  othor  si»K\      Hut    Inloto   \\c  \i 


he  Ii.kI  tinio  to  sO(^  wlint  rallrvl  totth  his  nv  ot 
.'\hmn.  tor.  Ivinj;  oh>so  to  tho  tn^o  tMn\k,  wis  a 
viark  hivnvn  mass  til. \t  v\nilil  1)0  nau;;ht  v\sc  than 
tho  vhoa^loil  oairajoii. 

Vov  A  moment   {\\c  cvcAiwvc  soomoJ   too  start K'»l 
to  tlo  an\    tnisohiot.      Hut    it    was  only   loi    a   mo 
mont  ;  anvl   ]>oloro  S.nvtloulai  oouM   oxtriralo  him 
v'iolt  trv>m  liis  awkw.Wil   pv>sitii>n.  it  sprang   iorwaiil 
Awd   Innioil   its   toriihlo  tooth    in   his  \v\\    shonhlci. 

••  Arohio  !   Arohio  !  qniv'k  !      He's  kihinj;  mo!" 


shiiokovi  I  ho  pv>oi-  littlo  follow. 


All 


11; 


ht.  1 


m  ov>min; 


Arrhio  shout od  haok 


And  with  hnntiiii;  knife  in  vmo  hand,  and   hatrhol 
in  Iho  other,  he  rushed  lo  the  leseue  ot  iiis  friend. 


(iiAiTF'R  vrir. 


riRK.    AND     rAMfNf;. 


I 


*1II''  sij'Jil    lli;it  inri,  his  ryrs  wIkmj  lir  rr;if  hrr| 


\ho  spot  Wim  st;irllinf^  mon'^lj.      I 


y 


m: 


fl;it 


upon  his  ImcmsI,  mikI  im.ihlr  to  rct;;iir)  his  Irrl  ho- 
r.nisc  nl  the  (Iinnsy  .snow-shoes,  lilMr  Sawtloiilai 
ih'tdy    in    (he    pf)vv('r    of    the    (ar^ajoii, 


WIS    cotnj 


whirh,  inliitialcd   hy   its  siirfcrin(.;s,  was  l)itiri;_^  at 

luin   sava;.;c'1y,  and    had    ahcady  [dvcn    him   serious 

wounds,  as  the   hh)od   upon   the  snow  made   plain. 

It   would    not    have   been   easy  to  shoot   at   the 

ik   of  injurin;^  the 


.'uuina 


1   wit 


lout  nmnintr  the  ris 


hoy;  but  Archie  did  not  wait  to  ^et  his  ^un.      He 

had   no  fear   of    fij^htin;;  at  close    (juarters.      His 

one  thou;;ht   was   to  save  Sawtloulai,  and   sprin^- 

iiii;  forward,  he  raised   the  hatchet,  and  aimed  a 

blow  with  all    bis  mi^ht  at   the  wolverine.     The 

wily  creature  saw  it    coming,  and    made  a  (juick 

niovcir.ent    which    saved    his    head,    but    not    his 

shoulder,  into  which  the  sharp  steel    bit  deeply, 

causing  him   to  forget   the   boy  prostrate  before 

103 


\i\\ 


AUctttK  or   ArnAtusrA, 


Mtn.    i\\\y\    to    \\\\\\    \\\[\\   ;\   lioiiid   sn;ol    \tpoti    In?; 
plvulvv  Mss;\il.inl. 

(.^wius;     t<>     l^i'^    l>rinj:     on    snow  s]n>rs,    Aii  Ino 


nnvl  owe  of  tho  l>ij;  forop.wvs,  intrhiii};  l\im  just 
l>olo\v  (ho  Unor.  out  thioii^'Ji  tlio  tlook  K\i',,i;iM)r  as 
thoiij;])  it  \\.\y\  lu'on  papcM,  ;Ohl  soorr»l  ;i  «loop  };;\sh 
olc.w  vK>\vn  to  the  .niklo,  Iront  whioh  tlio  blood 
tlowctl  prv>tusoly.  Hut  th;U  was  his  li\st  advim 
tai;o.  The  koon  halvhot  (H«l  not  miss  its  in.iik 
the  t)o\t  time.  v'^win!;inL;  it  dosptMalcdv  as  the 
htnto  turnovl  to  renew  its  attaok,  Aiohio  huiiod 
it  in  his  brain,  and  with  a  oonvulsivo  struivrl 
the  oaroajiMi  rolled  over,  dead. 


t■'>t^' 


Not  stoppiui;  to  examine  liis  prire,  Arehie  hur- 
rievl  to  lilt  little  Sawtlotilai,  and  at  the  same  mo 
ment  Akaitehko,  whose  quick  ear  IkuI  eaught  the 
bov's  eries,  eame  rnshini;-  to  liis  side.  They  found 
that  the  \>ooy  little  ehap  had  fainteil  throui;h  terror, 
]\\in  and  U>ss  of  bUnnl,  and  thev  plaeed  him  ten- 
derly upon  the  tree  trunk,  Arehie  holding;  his 
head,  in  his  laj\  while  the  father  bathed  his  face 
with  snow,  anvl  strove  to  stanch  the  gaping 
wounds. 

In  a  few  moments  the  boy  opened  his  eyes,  and 
putting:  his  hand  to  his  shoulder,  murmured  pite- 


ous iv 


b 


(• 


It  hurts  me  —  it  hurts  mc.     Oh  I  how  it  hurts 


mc. 


Archie   had    no   thousiht   for  his   own   wound, 


riHK    ANr»    rAMINK. 


ifi5 


whicli  wan  Rtill  blrrcliii^r  frrrly,  ;uifl  Il;r  trarR  that 
came  into  his  ryrs  as  he  hcnt  down  and  softly 
kissed  the  hu»wn  fai  o  iti  hiM  lap,  wrtr  trais  of 
syinp  ilhy,  not  ol  pain. 

"  I  know  it  hnils  yoii,  Sawtlonlai  dra?,"  ]\r.  t;;iid 
snothini'Jy.  "  lint  it  will  soon  ho  hcttc.r  when  wc 
yv\  yon  hack  to  the!  loi t." 

Akaitchko'.H  ordy  rctnark  was  onn  of  his  rxprrs- 
sivo  "  n};;h.s  !  "  vvhiih  meant  in  IOnt;liMh,  "  This  is  a 
h.id  hnsincss."  lint  there  was  no  donht  as  to  his 
anxiety,  nor  as  to  the  skill  with  which  he  (pii(  kly 
hound  np  his  son's  shoulder,  and  made  ready  to 
hen  him  to  the  fort.  This  was  all  done  hcforc  he 
noticed  Archie's  hurt. 

Carcajou  do  that?"   he  irupiired,  poir)tin;^  to 


II 


tl 


ie   woun( 


led   h 


an 


(1    Archie    nodding/   his    head 


aHirmat  ively,  he  added,  -  "  I  lim  dcvd,  certain 
suie  ;"  and  without  another  word  i)roeeedcd  to 
hind  it  up  in  the  same  skillful  fashion. 


II 


Com 


e,  now, 


M 


ic  sai( 


II 


II 


ome,  fpnc 


k  ! 


tf 


Picking;  up  his  son  as  thou;;h  he  were  a  mere 
bai)y,  ho  placed  him  f^ently  upon  his  brr)ad  slioul- 
tier,  and  strode  off  in  the  directif)n  of  the  fort, 
leaving;  Archie  to  brin^  the  ^wnn  and  follf)V/  him 
as  best  be  couhl,  the  carcajou,  whose  undf)in;;  had 
cost  so  much,  beinfj  left  nc^^lectcd  in  the  trap.  If 
all  were  well  next  day,  they  mi^^ht  perhaps  return 
for  him  ;  but  at  present  th^  /  had  a  much  more 
important  matter  in  hand ;  namely,  the  saving  of 
Sawtloulai's  life. 


io6 


ARCHIK    OF    ATHADASCA. 


Archie  had  a  haul  job  getting  back  to  the  fort. 
His  leg  was  exceedingly  sore,  and  only  constant 
motion  prevented  it  from  becoming  so  stiff  as 
to  be  useless.  Happily,  the  bleeding  ceased  alto- 
gether, and  he  had  not  lost  enough  blood  lo 
weaken  him  at  all.  Yet  he  sometimes  felt  as 
though  he  could  not  go  a  step  farther — he  must 
lie  down  and  rest  a  little.  Then  it  was  that 
Akaitchko's  example  inspired  him,  as  the  stalwart 
old  Indian,  bearing  his  precious  burden,  urged 
his  way  onward  without  pause,  seeming  to  he 
entirely  superior  to  the  ordinary  limits  of  human 
strength  auvl  endurance.  Keeping  close  behind 
him,  Archie  plodded  on  with  dogged  determina- 
tion, until  at  last  the  welcome  walls  of  the  fort 
came  into  sight,  and  summoning  all  his  energies 
for  a  final  spurt,  he  even  took  the  lead  of  the 
Indian,  and  kept  it  until  he  dropped  exhausted  at 
the  gate. 

The  return  of  the  trappers  in  so  damaged  a  con- 
dition made  quite  a  sensation  in  the  fort,  and  they 
were  at  once  surrounded  by  an  eager  crowd  of 
questioners.  But  Akaitchko,  taking  thought  only 
for  his  boy,  would  answer  nobody  as  he  hastened 
to  his  own  quarters,  where  Sawtloulai's  mother 
would  dress  his  wounds  far  better  than  he  could 
do ;  and  Mr.  McKenzie  hurried  Archie  in  to 
have  his  injury  attended  to,  so  that  the  crowd  had 
to  wait  some  time  before  their  curiosity  could  be 
satisfied. 


FIRE    AND    FAMINE. 


107 


had 


When  the  story  came  to  be  told,  Archie  received 
abundant  praise  for  the  brave  part  he  had  taken, 
and  Sawtloulai  much  sympathy  for  his  sufferings ; 
while  everybody  rejoiced  that  the  carcajou  had 
met  its  reward  at  last. 

The  little  Indian  was  not  able  to  leave  his  bed 
for  some  weeks,  but  Archie,  after  limping  round 
for  a  week,  had  no  further  bother  with  his  leg. 
Determined  that  so  much  trouble  should  not  be 
taken  for  nothing,  Mr.  Wentzel  thoughtfully  set 
off  the  following  morning  after  the  killing  of  the 
wolverine,  and  finding  the  body  untouched  brought 
it  to  the  fort  on  a  toboggan,  when  one  and  all 
declared  that  it  was  the  largest  of  the  kind  they 
had  ever  seen.  The  skin,  of  course,  went  to 
Archie's  credit  in  his  steadily  growing  account 
with  his  father  for  furs  supplied. 

The  weeks  followed  one  another  uneventfully 
as  the  winter  dragged  its  slow  course  along. 
January  was  an  intensely  cold  month  and  marked 
by  many  snow-storms,  which  piled  up  the  drifts 
about  the  walls  of  the  fort,  both  inside  and  out, 
until  it  seemed  as  though  the  buildings  must  be 
buried  if  the  storms  continued.  The  paths  shov- 
eled out  between  them  became  deep  cuts  whose 
sides  rose  above  Archie's  head,  and  it  took  no 
small  amount  of  work  to  keep  the  road  open  to 
the  lake,  whence  the  water  supply  was  drawn. 
For  days  at  a  time  Archie  would  not  go  outside 
the  fort,  and  he  took  advantage  of  this  enforced 


loS 


ARrtnn    OP    AHUnN^^iA. 


snow  ^li«>r>?  -AwA  sw.Ar  tol^vmnn*?  ;  1  wo  \  oi  \  \:\\\\:\\)\r 
;i» «  onipli^binmt 'J  tiM  ono  who  o>pt'rloil  to  qjMMnl  tlu' 
^Mo.Urt  \y.\\\  ot  lo';  lilo  in  tin'  (  "Mn;nH;»n  wiM(Mtn'«5q 
In  hi"?  own  homo  tlnno  woio  liooU-^  to  ir;nl  with 
Ko-;r  M.uio,  AwA  »  ^o«;^  to  \A:\\  \\'\\\\  \\\^  (:HlnM.  nnd 
i^tluM  innploN  nn^nt  «*  win*  I)  holpoil  tho  tinn'  t»»  )>;»qq 
A  }V0»>\1  |M^ition  «>(  onh  \\:\\  W;<q,  of  roni'^o,  Rpcnt 
with  S.nvtlonl.n  wln>  w.\«?  n»'M  t  "^o  hnppv  rtq  whrn 
Aivhio  K«*]>t  luni  »onn>;nn  Vho  two  hoy?'  ptr 
!;<Mito«l  :\  v\nions  rontt;\st.  Anlno,  now  in  \\'\^  fif- 
toonth  \o:\v,  stoo*]  i\\c  frot  5;ovon  ii\rhf*q  in  hiq 
\^>OvvMsins,  AwA  woij,hrJ  (nil  mn*  Innnhod  a\\\\ 
lovtv  ]"»o\niv]s.  His  h;\it  w.ir  ]ij;ht  :\nd  rnilv,  Inq 
ovos  d.^tlv  hhn^  A\\y\  ns  rlo.it  i\q  vM\st;0,  his  loniplox- 
i^M^  (.uv  whoro  it  w.^s  n.>t  iiovUhMl,  his  ronntrnmn  (\ 
\{  not  ]MV»isr]v  :\  l^.-uidsonio  \n\o  for  tho  month 
w.-^s  r.ithor  l;ni;o,  awA  {he  rh'^^U  lM>noq  ovot  ptonii- 
ncnt  wns  thoro\i^]ilv  ]>1onsinj;  ;  };oo<l  htnnor,  mnt- 
A^o.  honostN',  shrowdnoss  awA  dotonnimtt ioti  h(Mn|r 
written  npv^n  it  in  \nninst;\k;\Mo  v  h;\i;\t'torR.  Win 
f^^\'ivc  w.-^s  .'^bont  ns  j;vM>d  ns  it  vonhl  ln\  lli*  wms 
broAv^  oi  shonUlcv  anil  hip,  n.inow  »^l  w;\ist,  Avc\) 
of  ohost.  AwA  sto\it  of  limb  ;  tho  loj;  (apnint;  to  a 
trim  nnklo,  awA  tho  ami  to  a  \\ca\  wrist  that  in. my 
A  Udv  might  have  envied.  S(rcn,^th,  spooil  and 
endnranoe  wore  his  in  no  small  tncasino,  and  very 
proud  was  he,  naturally  enough,  of  his  superiority 
in  all  things  that  demanded  these  qualities  over 
any  of  his  c<>mpanions. 


VtUV    ANf.    (  AwrNr,. 


tffj 


S;ivv(lnulfil  lift  flif»  nflifM  Iimu'I  w;iq  ;ifi  nut  ririfl 
(Mil  IfHli.MI,  Mlhf'il  M  (»;if  f  irflL'lf  ly  |»f  ♦•j».'»Mqr't;qjfi(/  <»fi('. 
||»'  w;m  qli|'lil  nf  ri('iiif,  »liml<  y  of  lu  f\  ■,ti\t\  liiq  fi;ilr 
liiinf;  in  l"fi(»  Mhni^lit  I»I;m  (<  lof  1<m  i(|»<ifi  l.i^  nfk 
.'ijirfM  li  «Iif|  n»»l  ll«tw  MR  fffrly  ffotfj  lIj^  lijm  ;m  fforn 
AkIh'^'r.  Ilr  liM'l  iiof  riiic  li  f'»  May  for  hirrm/'lf, 
lull  lio  qrfMiH  »l  lo  flijr»l{  M  ^ff\it  flfnl  Alffion^/fi 
iMMllv  two  v»"im  yoiifi^ri,  ;iii(|  fidl  af  ;il|  f,it;  t(^fi,\\ 
ill  mIm'I1|',IIi,  lir  wa.q  alrrifml  a  malf  h  ff»f  fii-;  "  whitr 
Itinlhf'i  '*  in  q|»rf>»l  jifw!  fHflllf afjr'^  ari'l  Ik>  \i:\'\  in 
ItfMilrd  fmm  lii«  fallirr  in  laf|.o'  i]('^rrr  Mi, if  sdhilr 
;i(  Ml»MirR9  of  ryo  afnl  oar  wlii'  li  irimirf>'l  lli^  f>ririj/ 
a  qiii(r«»qfiil  liiifilfM.  IfrliHl  a  «;ifi^Milarly  bright 
and  aflfMijonalr  fliq|to';il  ion  for  an  fndian,  and,  as 
liaq  Imtii  alirady  iii'Mil  ioic-fl,  }ir  fir  Id  toward  Afhi'* 
an  almoil)inn  tin«fd(isli  affrrtiori  that,  wa^  rc-aliy 
hranlifn).      The  (ornpaniormliip  of  thr  fart<;r's  son 

iq  a  ^land   lldn^   lo  flic   yoiirij;    Indian.      Archif; 


vv 


\\\^\^ 


trd 


♦  m   liiq   Icarnifit'   to   rr;\i]   an  w^ 


II 


'r\<\      R 


peak 


MnidiMh.  nn<l  was  ever)  tcac  Ijint/-  fiirn  fo  writf. 


t~> 


"  Y(ni  may  ]}r  [)(mt master  some  rlay,  yon  know, 
Siwtloiilai,"  he  wouM  say,  "nr»d  thr,n  if  yoii  ran 
read  and  writr,  jnst  think  Jiow  much  more  all  the 
proplr  will  tlnnk  of  yon."  And  thus  f!ncoijra;^od, 
liltlc  "  Sunshine  "  would  once  more  attack  the  dif- 
licnlfy  of  pot  hooks  and  hanf^ers,  wishinf^  all  the 
lime  to  the  hottom  of  his  heart  that  he  was  using 
how  .md  arrow  instead  of  pen  and  ink. 

ICvcr  since  the  attcmptcrl  abrluction  of  Archie, 
no  communication  had  been  held  with   F'ort  Wed- 


no 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


derburne.  It  was  reported  by  some  of  the  Indians 
that  McDougal  spent  most  of  his  time  drinking 
brandy,  and  had  shown  such  brutality  toward  his 
employes  that  many  of  them  had  left  early  in  the 
winter,  and  gone  South  to  other  establishments, 
leaving  him  with  but  a  handful.  And  presently 
the  news  came  that  the  factor  had  followed  them, 
his  supply  of  food  having  failed,  owing  to  a  proper 
stock  not  having  been  laid  in  during  the  summer. 

**  A  mighty  good  riddance,"  said  Mr.  McKenzie 
when  he  heard  it.  *'  May  his  ugly  face  be  never 
seen  in  this  neighborhood  again.  I  knew  well 
enough  he  wasn't  getting  in  enough  meat  to  last 
him  all  winter,  but  it  was  not  my  business  to  tell 
him.  Thank  Providence,  we  have  not  made  that 
mistake.  We  could  have  a  festin  a  tout  manger 
once  a  week,  and  still  have  plenty  to  last  until 
spring." 

A  festin  a  tout  maftger^  it  should  be  explained,  is  a 
very  popular  institution  among  the  Indians.  The 
literal  meaning  of  the  term  is  a  feast  at  which 
everything  must  be  eaten  up,  and  as  the  host  on 
such  an  occasion  endeavors  to  provide  as  much  as 
he  possibly  can,  it  generally  happens  that  his 
guests  go  away  feeling  very  uncomfortable  about 
the  waistband.  Could  Mr.  McKenzie  have  seen 
but  a  few  days  into  the  future  he  would  hardly 
have  spoken  so  complacently  about  giving  2^  festin 
a  tout  manger  every  week. 

Archie's  room  in  the  factor's  house  was  at  the 


FIRE   AND    FAMINE. 


Ill 


back,  and  the  one  window,  which  had  a  thin  sheet 
of  parchment  in  lieu  of  glass,  faced  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  storehouse,  these  buildings  being 
placed  between  the  house  and  the  walls  of  the 
fort,  and  a  little  distance  apart.  There  were  two 
of  them  ;  one  containing  the  goods  for  barter  and 
the  furs  that  had  accumulated,  and  the  other  the 
stock  of  pemmican,  jerked  meat,  dried  fish,  flour, 
salt,  etc.,  besides  the  ammunition,  spare  guns, 
hatchets,  and  other  things  of  corresponding  value. 

The  end  of  February  was  approaching,  and  the 
worst  of  the  winter  seemed  to  have  passed.  In  a 
little  while  the  days  would  grow  warmer  and  the 
immense  drifts  begin  to  waste  away.  One  cold, 
still,  moonless  night,  Archie  got  so  excited  over  a 
bison  hunt  in  a  dream  that  just  at  the  critical  mo- 
ment, when  a  huge  bull  was  charging  down  upon 
him  with  most  murderous  intent,  he  sprang  out  of 
his  way  so  energetically  as  to  spring  clear  out  of 
bed,  and  woke  up  to  find  himself  shivering  on  the 
floor.  He  was  about  to  dive  back  under  the  warm 
clothes  again,  when  it  struck  him  that  the  window 
showed  out  with  unusual  distinctness,  and,  if  his 
ears  did  not  play  him  false,  he  surely  heard  some- 
thing that  sounded  strangely  like  the  crackling 
of  fire. 

It  was  not  his  way  to  hesitate.  Rushing  to  the 
window  he  dashed  his  fist  through  the  parchment 
and  looked  out,  unheeding  the  stream  of  frost- 
laden    air  that  poured  in  upon   him.     The  next 


i 


112 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


moment  he  bounded  into  his  father's  bedroom, 
crying  out  : 

"  Get  up  quick,  father ;  the  storehouse  is  on 
fire." 

In  an  instant  the  father  was  awake.  "  What  do 
you  mean,  Archie .? "  he  exclaimed.  *'  Are  you 
sure .?  " 

"  Yes,  father,"  answered  Archie.  **  Come  into 
my  room  and  see." 

One  glance  was  sufficient. 

"  Heaven  help  us !  you're  right,"  groaned  Mr. 
McKenzie.  "  Get  into  your  clothes  quick,  and 
call  the  men." 

In  a  wonderfully  short  time  both  father  and  son 
were  dressed  and  were  arousing  the  sleeping  men, 
who,  tumbling  into  their  clothes,  hurried  to  the  fire. 
But  by  this  time  the  flames  were  in  full  posses- 
sion of  the  storehouse  in  which  the  provisions 
were  kept.  Crackling  and  hissing  in  the  calm 
chill  night,  they  rose  higher  and  higher,  filling  the 
air  with  the  odors  of  burning  meat,  while  the  men 
whose  only  supply  of  food  was  being  destroyed  be- 
fore their  eyes,  looked  on  in  helpless  horror.  Mr. 
Wentzel,  Akaitchko  and  some  others,  drawing  the 
hoods  of  their  capotes  about  their  heads,  dashed 
fearlessly  into  the  burning  building,  and  brought 
out  a  few  bags  of  pemmican,  salt  and  flour,  and 
Archie,  inspired  by  their  gallantry,  was  about  to 
imitate  it  when  the  factor  grasped  him  by  the 
arm  and  drew  him  roughly  back. 


FIRE  AND   FAMINE. 


113 


"  Merciful  Heaven  !  the  powder !  "  he  cried  in 
consternation  at  the  thought  that  had  just  oc- 
curred to  him.  "Get  back  for  your  lives,  get 
back ! " 

He  did  not  speak  a  moment  too  soon.  Indeed 
the  words  had  hardly  left  his  lips  before  a  loud  ex- 
plosion shook  the  very  ground  upon  which  he  stood. 

Another  and  another  followed,  and  h?.d  not  the 
men  fled  from  the  spot  many  of  them  must  have 
been  killed  by  the  broadside  of  heavy  timbers  and 
burning  fragments  that  came  from  the  doomed 
building. 

Only  for  the  snow  that  lay  deep  upon  the  roof, 
and  high  about  the  walls  of  the  other  buildings, 
they,  too,  would  evidently  have  shared  the  same 
fate.  Happily,  however,  the  firebrands  quenched 
themselves  harmlessly  in  the  protecting  drifts,  and 
only  the  storehouse  was  destroyed. 

But  ol  all  the  buildings  at  the  fort,  that  very 
one  was  the  most  precious.  The  goods  and  the 
furs  might  easily  have  been  spared,  but  the  food 
and  the  powder,  how  was  it  to  be  replaced,  and 
what  was  to  be  done  in  the  face  of  such  a  catas- 
trophe }  The  group  that  gathered  in  the  factor's 
room  after  the  fire  had  burned  itself  out  bore  very 
gloomy  and  troubled  faces.  Two  bags  of  pemmican 
containing  eighty  pounds  each,  a  bag  of  flour,  and 
another  of  salt  of  the  same  weight,  represented  all 
that  was  left  of  a  stock  of  provisions  calculated  to 
last  until  midsummer. 


114 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHAnASCA. 


Coiintinj;  all  hands,  there  were  sixty  persons  to 
be  fed  at  the  fort. 

"  'Tis  a  grievous  state  of  thinj;s,"  said  Mr.  Mc- 
Kenzie,  looking  anxiously  at  Vir«;inie  and  Rose- 
Marie,  vho,  not  yet  entirely  recovered  from  the 
excitement  of  the  night,  were  sitting  together 
beside  the  fire.  •'  There's  not  much  more  than 
enough  pemmican  for  you,  and  where  can  wc  get 
more  until  the  snow  goes  ? " 

•'  Hut  we  don't  want  it  all,  Duncan  dear,**  cried 
Mrs.  McKenzie.  "  You  and  Archie  must  have 
some,  too." 

The  factor  smiled  sadly. 

•' Tm  not  thinking  only  of  myself,'*  said  he. 
*'  Rut  there  are  other  women  and  children,  and 
they  must  have  a  bite,  too.  As  for  us  men," 
glancing  around  at  the  clerks,  "  we  must  just  live 
on  the  skins  until  we  can  get  some  meat." 

The  other  men  nodded  a  gloomy  assent.  They 
understood  well  enough  what  the  factor  meant. 
Some  of  them,  Mr.  Wentzel  in  particular,  had 
already  passed  through  a  similar  experience,  h;iv- 
ing  livcil  for  weeks  upon  nothing  but  dried  beaver 
and  moose  skins. 

What  made  the  situation  so  serious  was  the 
absence  of  game  within  reach  of  the  fort.  The 
hares,  which  usually  were  a  safe  dependence,  had 
totally  failed,  and  the  moose  seemeil  to  have  been 
drawn  southward  by  the  severity  of  the  winter. 
Neither  could   the   lake   be   looked   to   for   food 


IMRK    AND    FAMINE. 


115 


supplies.  The  intense  cold  had  covered  it  with 
an  icy  armor  from  three  to  five  feet  thick,  and 
made  the  fish  so  torpid  that  they  would  not  touch 
hait,  while  net  fishing  was,  of  course,  out  of  the 
question.  There  was  no  dis'^uisin';  the  fact  that 
famine,  gaunt  and  pitiless,  stared  them  in  the 
face,  and  that  unless  a  sui)ply  of  meat  were  oh- 
taincd  in  sofiic  way,  many  of  the  weaker  ones 
must  perish,  for  the  diet  of  dried  skins  would  not 
furnish  sufficient  nourishment  to  sustain  life  very 
loni;,  except  for  the  very  strongest. 

Gathering  into  his  own  hands  all  the  provisions 
that  remained,  so  that  he  might  dole  them  out  to 
the  hest  advantage,  Mr.  McKenzie  prei)ared  for 
the  worst.  His  wife  and  daughter  were  his  chief 
concern.  lie  and  Archie  might  endure  to  the 
full  limit  of  human  strength,  but  they  were  ill- 
fitted  to  bear  extreme  priviution.  He  had  always 
cared  for  them  according  to  the  best  of  his  ability, 
and  they  had  never  before  been  called  upon  to 
suffer  actual  need. 

Yet  none  were  calmer  or  more  cheerful  than 
they.  Not  because  they  failed  to  realize  the 
seriousness  of  the  situation,  but  because  they  had 
such  implicit  faith  in  the  big  father  and  the 
sturdy  son  that  they  felt  perfectly  confident  of 
their  proving  equal  to  the  emergency. 

"  Don't  feel  so  badly  about  us,"  said  Rosc- 
Maric,  looking  bravely  up  into  her  father's  face. 
"  We   will  eat  such  a  very  little  every  day,  and 


ii6 


AKClllE   OF    ATllAHASCA. 


will  make  what  wc  have  hist  all  right  until  you 
get  some  more." 

As  though  some  malign  fate  had  befallen  thr 
fort,  the  week  fi>llowing  the  fire  proved  so  wild 
and  stormy  that  hunling  was  out  of  the  question, 
and  the  men,  eager  ;uul  anxious  as  they  might  he 
to  try  their  fortune  on  the  prairie,  were  eompellcil 
to  stay  indoors.  Archie  found  the  skin  stew  a 
poor  apology  for  the  comfortable  meals  he  had 
been  accustomed  to,  but  he  did  his  best  to  l)c 
cheerful  over  it,  and  even  refused  decidedly  to 
take  the  tempting  bite  his  mother  pressed  upon 
him  from  her  own  all  too  scanty  portion. 

'•  No,  no,  mother  dear.  I'm  one  of  the  men, 
you  know,"  he  replied,  proudly  drawing  himself 
up  to  his  full  height.  '•  I  must  not  have  anything 
better  than  they  have." 

Vet,  poor  fellow,  how  his  mouth  did  water  for 
what  would  have  seemed  very  unattractive  fare  to 
any  other  boy,  had  it  been  placed  before  him  1 


CHAPTER   IX. 


MOOSK    HUNT. 


BY  the  time  the  weather  cleared,  Mr.  McKen- 
zic  had  his  plans  perfected  for  dealing  with 
the  crisis.  Taking  a  strong  party  of  his  best  men 
he  would  follow  the  course  of  the  IClk  River  south- 
waril,  in  the  hope  of  finding  a  band  of  the  noble 
animals  fron,  whom  the  stream  was  named,  while 
the  others  should  remain  at  the  fort  to  await  his 
return. 

The  moment  Archie  heard  of  the  arrangement, 
ho  was  determined  to  accompany  his  father.  But 
the  factor  at  first  did  not  approve. 

"  I  think  you  had  better  stay  at  the  fort,  Archie. 
Here  you  are  sure  of  at  least  something  to  live 
upon,  poor  stuff  as  it  is;  but  if  you  go  with  us, 
(iotl  knows  what  you  may  have  to  suffer,"  he 
urged. 

"  If  I  could  do  any  good  by  staying  at  the  fort, 

father,"  replied  Archie  respectfully,  "  I  would  not 

mind  staying,  but  you  know  I  can't.     There's  no 

117 


ii8 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


hunting  or  trapping  to  be  done,  for  all  the  animals 
have  vanished  somewhere,  and  it*s  just  miserable 
hanging  about  in  this  way,  waiting  for  spring  to 
come." 

The  factor  regarded  his  son  with  a  sympathetic 
smile. 

"You  certainly  don't  lack  energy,  Archie,"  he 
answered,  "  and  I  know  it's  hard  work  for  you  to 
do  nothing  ;  but  don't  you  think  your  mother  and 
Rose-Marie  would  be  better  pleased  to  have  you 
with  them  >  " 

"  Doubtless  they  would,  father,"  said  Archie, 
**  and  if  I  could  be  of  any  use  to  them,  I'd  stay 
quick  enough.  But  what  can  I  do  .^  I  can't  get 
them  food,  and  Mr.  Stewart  and  Mr.  McGillvray 
and  plenty  of  the  men  are  staying  to  take  care 
of  them.  O,  father  !  you  must  let  me  go  with 
you.  I  can  stand  almost  as  much  as  you  can 
yourself.** 

Now,  the  truth  of  the  matter  was,  that  Mr.  Mc- 
Kenzie  was  no  less  eager  to  have  his  son  with  him 
than  Archie  was  to  go,  and  it  was  only  a  feeling 
of  affectionate  anxiety  lest  he  would  have  to 
suffer  too  mv.ch  hardship  in  the  enterprise,  that 
prompted  him  tc  refuse  his  request.  Ikit  as  he 
listened  to  bis  earnest  pleadings,  he  saw  plainly 
that  it  would  make  the  boy  very  unhappy  to  leave 
him  behind  ;  so,  after  some  further  show  of  resist- 
ance, more  to  satisfy  his  own  conscience  than  for 
any  other  reason,  he  gave  his  consent,  and  Archie 


MOOSE    HUNT. 


119 


went  off  dclif^htcdly  to  tell  Akaitchko  that  he  was 
to  be  one  of  the  hunting  party. 

Without  loss  of  time  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions were  made.  The  party  consisted  of  fifteen 
men,  and  included  Mr.  Wentzel  and,  of  course, 
Akaitchko,  but  not  Sawtloulai,  much  to  the  little 
fellow's  grief.  It  comprised  the  best  hunters  in  the 
fort.  The  factor,  Archie  and  the  Norwegian  were 
the  only  white  men,  the  others  being  either  half- 
breeds  or  Indians.  Each  man  took  a  tobogj^an, 
upon  which  he  put  his  gun  and  buffalo  sleeping 
robes,  and  which  he  hoped  to  bring  back  heavy 
with  moose  meat;  a  small  quantity  of  pemmican 
and  salt  was  taken  as  a  resource  in  extreme  emer- 
gency, and  also  a  quantity  of  beaver  skins,  with 
which  to  make  skin  stew  when  there  was  nothing 
else  to  be  had. 

In  the  matter  of  ammunition,  their  supply  was 
all  too  scant,  and  but  for  the  happy  accident  of  a 
sn..ill  quantity  of  powder  and  bullets  having  been 
left  in  the  storehouse  that  was  not  burned,  althouf^h 
as  a  rule  they  were  all  kept  in  the  other,  the  only 
available  stock  would  have  been  what  each  man 
happened  to  have  in  his  own  room.  As  it  turned 
out  there  was  sufficient  to  furnish  each  member 
of  the  hunting  party  with  twenty-five  rounds,  and 
to  leave  a  hundred  rounds  or  so  at  the  fort  in  case 
of  an  opportunity  to  use  them  presenting  itself. 

"Now,  my  men,"  said  Mr.  McKenzie  to  his 
little  company,  *'  you  see  how  little   powder  we 


120 


ARCHIE    or    ATHABASCA. 


have.  Not  a  shot  must  be  wasted.  Txt  all  who 
can  use  tlie  bow  take  one  with  him,  and  plenty  of 
arrows.  If  we  have  the  luck  to  find  some  ptarmi- 
gan, we  can  kill  them  better  with  arrows  than  with 
bullets." 

The  parting;  was  a  rather  tryinp;  one  for  the 
McKenzies.  God  alone  knew  whether  they  should 
ever  see  each  other's  faces  airain.  For  the  hunt 
ers  there  were  perils  from  st(um,  starvation  and 
wild  beasts  to  be  encountered  ;  for  the  women,  the 
lonj;  wearing-  anxiety  of  waiting,  and  the  possi- 
bility of  succuml)ing  to  the  inevitable  privation  of 
their  life.  Before  starting  out  the  factor  gathered 
his  family  about  him,  and  with  an  earnest  prayer 
committed  them  to  the  care  of  the  Omnipotent. 
Then,  banishing  all  sign  of  worrv  from  his  rugjred 
faco,  he  strained  his  wife  and  daughter  to  his 
breast,  and  hastened  out  to  take  command  of  the 
men  awaiting  him  at  the  gate.  Archie  delayed 
for  one  final  jiarting  hug,  and  then  darted  after 
him,  his  mother's  prayer,  **  Kind  God,  take  care  of 
mv  bov!"  following  him  as  he  joined  the  little 
procession  \xhich  had  already  begun  to  move  out 
of  the  gate  into  the  vast  white  wilderness  where 
they  must  take  their  chances  of  life  or  death. 

It  was  a  vcrv  grave  and  quiet  party.  The  men 
were  in  no  mood  for  joking  or  laughter.  They 
fully  realized  how  much  depended  upon  the  success 
of  their  expedition.  They  were  all  dressed  alike  ; 
a  long  coat  Made  out  of  either  bison  or  wolf  skin 


MOOSK    HUNT. 


121 


protected  the  body,  and  a  capote  of  the  same 
material  covered  the  head.  Trousers  of  thick 
blanket  cloth  were  tucked  into  stout  lef;j;inf;s  that 
fitted  close  to  moccasins  K'^yly  decked  with  beads 
and  quills,  and  around  the  waist  was  a  broad 
leather  belt  at  which  hunj;  a  huntin;];  knife  and 
hatchet,  while  across  the  shoulders  were  suspended 
the  powder  horn  and  bullet  pouch.  They  were, 
of  course,  all  mounted  upon  snow-shoes,  without 
which  not  a  mile  of  progress  could  have  been 
made. 

Takin^]^  a  short  cut  across  the  lake,  they  struck 
the  VAk  River  where  it  loses  itself  in  the  lake, 
and  finding  that  its  frozen  bosom  covered  with 
firm  packed  snow  made  an  excellent  road,  they 
tramped  all  the  rest  of  that  day  steadily  south- 
ward. The  factor's  idea  was  to  keep  on  until  he 
reached  the  confluence  of  the  Buffalo  with  the 
Klk  River,  and  then  turning  off  to  the  west  to 
hunt  for  moose  along  the  richly  timbered  valleys 
which  make  dark  lines  in  the  rolling  prairies  be- 
tween the  Red  River  and  the  Buffalo.  This  would 
entail  a  full  week  of  hard  traveling,  during  which 
they  would  have  to  find  sustenance  along  the 
route  somehow  ;  but  Mr.  McKcnzie  felt  sure  it 
would  be  only  wasting  time  to  stop  short  at  the 
Buffalo  River,  as  there  were  no  really  good  hunt- 
ing grounds  in  the  intervening  country. 

Of  the  whole  party,  Archie  was  the  only  one 
who  did  not  have  to  drag  a  toboggan  after  him. 


122 


ARcmr.  or  athaijasca. 


H 


He  was  (luilc  willing  to  ilo  it,  but  his  father  in- 
sistoil  that  they  should  have  only  one  between 
them,  and  that  i\e  himself  should  drag  that  onr, 
so  that,  being  free  to  move  about  as  he  pleased, 
Arehie,  aeeompanied  by  lOdaiye,  instead  of  keep- 
ing in  line  with  the  rest,  made  himself  busy  heal 
ing  the  eoveis  aUmg  the  banks  of  the  stream  in 
seareh  of  partridge  and  ptarmigan. 

They  were  by  no  means  unsuecessful,  either, 
lulaiyc  was  a  eapital  hunting  dog.  Nothing  eoiild 
escape  his  keen  eye  or  nose,  and  many  a  bird  diil 
Arehie  contribute  to  the  camp  kettle,  brougiil 
down  with  a  well-aimed  arrow.  His  gun  he  did 
not  use  at  all.  It  had  to  be  reserved  for  large 
game,  and  as  time  after  time  his  arrow  sj^ed  to  its 
mark  with  unerring  aim,  he  thought  what  a  fortu- 
nate thing  it  was  that  he  had  taken  such  trouble 
to  be  expert  with  the  bow  as  well  as  with  the  gun. 
He  missed  Sawtloulai  very  much,  and  felt  inclined 
to  find  fault  with  his  father  for  leaving  the  brave 
little  Indian  behind.  But  he  die  not  express  that 
feeling,  knowing  well  that  Mr.  McKenzie  had  a 
good  reason  for  everything  he  did,  and  moreover 
had  required  to  be  coaxed  into  letting  him  go. 

The  weather  seemed  to  be  settled  fair.  One 
cold,  clear  I  ight  day  succeeded  another,  and  under 
happier  circumstances  the  party  would  have  been 
quite  a  merry  one,  but  as  they  were  all  half-starv- 
ing, never  being  abl'^  to  get  enough  to  entirely 
appease  their    hunger,   and   in  addition   to   their 


ow 

fii( 
(ie| 
th( 
on 


MOOSK    HUNT. 


123 


own  siiffcrini;  roiild  never  forget  the  families  and 
friends  at  the  fort,  the  preservation  of  whose  lives 
(le|)ende<l  upon  their  securing  abundance  of  meat, 
they  talked  litth^  and  laughed  less  as  they  tramped 
on  toward  the  luuitin^  j^round. 

The  jiart  of  each  day's  programme  that  pleased 
Archie  most  was  goin^  into  camp  for  the  ni<;ht, 
j>artly  because  he  was  always  very  tired  })y  that 
time,  and  partly  because  there  was  somcthinj^ 
romantic  about  it  tbat  appealed  to  his  nature. 
The  manner  of  preparing  the  bivouac  was  as  fol- 
lows :  A  sheltered  nook  amidst  the  trees  was 
chosen,  and  the  snow  scraped  away  with  the  snow- 
shoes  in  a  circle  to  the  depth  of  three  feet  or 
more.  The  hatchets  were  then  busily  plied  until 
a  ^reat  pile  of  firewood  was  ready.  In  the  center 
of  the  circle  the  fire  was  built,  and  upon  the  snow 
around  it  the  men  spread  their  buffalo  robes,  and 
stretching  themselves  out  with  feet  toward  the 
fire,  and  heads  protected  by  the  walls  of  snow, 
rested  as  only  weary  men  can  rest.  Archie  never 
failed  to  sleep  soundly.  Not  even  hunger  could 
keep  him  awake,  and  in  the  blessed  oblivion  of 
sleep  he  forgot  for  the  time  all  his  discomforts 
and  anxieties. 

When  they  were  three  days  out  they  came  to 
the  junction  of  the  Red  River  with  the  Elk,  and 
some  of  the  party  were  for  leaving  the  Elk  and 
following  up  the  other  stream.  But  Mr.  Mc- 
Kcnzie  would  not  consent. 


124 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


"  We  can't  afford  to  lose  a  sin,G:le  day,"  he  said. 
"  If  we  keep  right  on  to  the  Buffalo,  we  can  then 
work  back  to  here,  and  if  there  are  any  moose 
about  we'll  have  all  the  shorter  distance  to  carry 
them  home.  Don't  you  think  so,  Akaitchko .? " 
turning  to  the  old  Indian. 

**We  get  moose  near  Buffalo,  sure." 

Archie  was  so  eager  to  have  a  try  at  the  moose 
that  he  felt  rather  disappointed  at  his  father's 
decision. 

"  Might  it  not  be  worth  while  to  stop  here  for 
one  day,  and  see  if  there  are  any  moose  around  .^" 
he  asked. 

"  Don't  be  so  impatient,  laddie,"  replied  his 
father,  patting  him  on  the  shoulder.  "  We'll  have 
plenty  to  do  once  we  find  moose,  I  can  tell  you." 

So,  for  two  days  more  they  tramped  and  camped, 
and  at  last  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Buffalo  in 
better  spirits  than  they  had  been  since  settinr^ 
out,  because  partridges  and  hares  had  been  found 
in  sufficient  quantity  to  keep  the  pot  pretty  well 
supplied.  Turning  away  from  the  Elk  River,  upon 
whose  bosom  they  had  marched  for  about  a  week, 
they  struck  off  upon  the  Buffalo,  and  followed  its 
course  until  sundown.  The  further  they  went  the 
higher  rose  their  hopes.  On  every  side  they  saw 
in  abundance  the  trees  and  shrubs  upon  whose 
tender  juicy  twigs  the  great  creature  they  were  in 
search  of  loves  to  feed.  Where  its  food  was  so 
plentiful,  the  animal  itself  could  not  be  far  distant. 


MOOSE   HUNT. 


125 


With  every  sense  upon  the  alert,  and  his  gun 
ready  for  instant  use  in  his  hand,  Archie,  accom- 
panied by  Edaiye,  kept  along  the  river  bank,  every 
moment  hoping  to  light  upon  some  trace  of  the 
moose.  Presently  the  dog  gave  a  quick  eager 
bark,  and  hastening  forward,  Archie  to  his  delight 
found  printed  in  the  snow  the  mark  of  hoofs  that 
there  was  no  mistaking.  Only  the  broad  foot  of 
the  moose  could  leave  such  a  track  behind,  and 
it  had  not  been  long  made,  either. 

A  young  birch-tree  stripped  bare  of  its  smaller 
branches  explained  the  animal's  presence.  He 
must  have  had  a  good  meal,  and  have  gone  off 
feeling  very  comfortable.  Possibly,  then,  he  was 
not  far  away,  and  reposing  in  a  cosey  nook  while 
his  dinner  was  digesting. 

For  a  moment  Archie  was  possessed  with  the 
wild  idea  of  following  up  the  trail  alone,  and  ven- 
turing to  attack  the  moose  single-handed.  One 
well-aimed  shot  might  do  the  business,  and  then 
what  good  grounds  he  would  have  for  boasting. 
He  would  undoubtedly  be  the  hero  of  the  hunt. 
His  heart  beat  like  a  trip-hammer,  and  his  breath 
almost  ceased  as  he  struggled  with  the  temptation. 
Then  there  came  to  him  the  thought  of  his  father's 
grave,  loving  countenance  and  the  tones  of  ten- 
der reproach  in  which  he  would  say,  could  he  read 
what  was  passing  in  his  mind  : 

*'  Don't  be  rash,  my  lad.  YouVe  only  one  life  to 
lose,  and  you've  no  right  to  risk  that  recklessly." 


126 


AKrniK  or  AriiAnAscA. 


"  No,  T  won't,"  he  exclaimed,  as  though  his 
lather  were  present,  and  he  were  answering  him. 
"It  woidd  he  a  erazy  thing  to  do;"  and  ealHng 
h'daiye  to  him,  he  hastened  (h)wn  the  bank  lo 
apprise  his  lallier  of  what  lie  had  seen. 

His  piece  of  news  aronsed  the  greatest  excite 
nient.      The    eager    men    wanted    to    leave    their 
tt>hoggans   where    they   were  and   rnsh   right    olf 
after  the  moose.     lUit  the  factor  wonUl  nut  allow 
that. 

••  vVe  can't  be  too  careful,  my  men,"  he  said. 
*'  I  shall  be  much  mistaken  if  the  moose  have  not 
yarded  somewhere  near.  It's  jnst  the  right  sort 
of  country  for  a  yard,  and  to  go  flying  v)ff  after 
that  fellow  might  perha|'»s  spoil  all  our  chances  of 
taking  a  score  of  them,  and  it's  meal,  not  fur,  we're 
after  now." 

The  whole  party  accordingly  climbed  the  bank, 
and  I'^iling  their  toboggans  in  a  heap  together,  pre- 
parcil  for  a  systematic  hunt.  Isvery  man  saw  to 
it  that  his  gun  was  properly  loadcil  and  cappcil, 
and  his  himting  knife  ready  for  innnediate  action. 
Then,  leaving  two  of  the  men  in  charge  of  the 
toboggans.  ]\Ir.  IMcKenzie  directed  the  others  to 
spread  out  in  a  long  line,  yet  keej>ing  within  hail- 
ing distance  of  each  other,  and  to  steer  due  nortli 
until  the  game  should  be  found.  The  factor's 
position  was  in  the  center  of  the  line,  with  Archie 
at  his  right,  the  end  men  being  Mr.  VVentzcl  ami 
Akaitchko. 


MOOSK    HUNT. 


127 


As  silf^nlly  as  it  was  possible  for  tlicm  to  move, 
tlicy  slolo  on  tliron^^li  tlir  forest,  each  man  ca^cr 
to  l)C  the  fi  st  to  catch  si^;ht  of  his  prey.  They 
must  liave  ^onc  at  least  a  mile  without  seeing; 
aiiylhi!!;^,  s.ive  a  partridf^e  or  two  tliat  were  per- 
niilted  to  flit  hy  unhurt,  when  Mr.  M(  Kenzie'a 
attention  was  attracted  by  a  sound  r's  if  a  sudden 
breeze  hiid  sprunpj  up,  and  was  shaking  the  trees 
not  far  ahead  of  him. 

"Hist!"  he  cried  under  his  breath,  and  held 
up  a  warning  hand  to  Archie  who  looked  ijupiir- 
in^ly  toward  him. 

They  both  stood  |)erfectly  still  for  a  moment, 
and  listened  intently.  The  disturbance  amon^ 
the  branches  increased.  Archie  hastened  to  his 
f.ither's  side. 

•'  It's  one  of  them  ridinj;  down  a  tree,**  said  Mr. 
McKen/ie,  his  face  bcaminj^  at  the  pros[)ect  of 
soon  achievinj;  the  object  of  their  lonf;  journey. 
•'  Let's  creep  up  on  him,  and  see  if  he*s  alone  or 
belon«;s  to  a  herd." 

Kedoublinj;  their  care,  and  bending  low  so  as 
to  remain  unseen  as  lon^  as  possible,  the  hunters 
crept  forward  breathlessly  until  they  reached  a 
sort  of  rid^c,  to  the  crest  of  which  they  made  their 
way,  and  peeped  cautiously  over. 

Then  a  si«;ht  met  their  eyes  that  made  them 
thrill  with  joy,  for  in  the  hollow  below,  a  cup-like 
depression  about  a  hundred  yards  in  diameter, 
was  a  moose  yard,  containing  nearly  a  hundred  of 


128 


AlUniK    OF    ATHAHASCA. 


the  s]>londiil  crcntincs,  bulla,  cows  ntu!  calves; 
soino  nu>viii^  liizilv  nhout  tiojipiuo  llio  bram  hcq 
of  Ibo  siinoiintlinL:  tiocs,  others  leeliiiiii^  eotnlnii. 
at)ly  \ipon  the  well-tuMlileii  snow,  enjoying  thr 
sunsliinc  thai  ivmied  down  upon  lIuMn,  and  whii  h 
Iheir  ctniiplete  ]>voteetiv>n  fron\  the  wind  enabled 
them  to  iullv  enjoy. 


It  was  the  lirst  time  that   Atvhie  had  ever  see 


n 


a  nmnbei  of  nu>ose  lv>^ether,  and  they  IooUimI  so 
stately,  so  contented,  so  happy,  that  his  hem! 
sni(>to  him  at  lu  idea  of  disturbing  their  peace 
with  murdenM  •  bidlets,  eyen  if  tluMi  flesh  was  so 
badly  necvlod.  Ibit  his  f.dhei  had  no  such  com 
pnnctions. 

"  Slip  o\\  quickly  along  the  line  that  way,  and  1 
will    CO  this  way  to  ^et   the  n\en   together.      \\\> 
mustn't    open    lire    initil    we  have  the    yaru    sur 
rounded,"  he  whisjieicd,  his  eyes  gleaming  with 
eagerness  to  begin  the  slaughter. 

Archie  instantly  obeyed,  and  the  two  dropped 
down  hehiuil  the  ridge,  and  separ.it ed  in  search  of 
the  others.  One  by  one  they  were  found  and 
told  of  the  good  news,  without  any  alarm  bcin;: 


given  to  the  nu>ose 


As   directed  by   the  factor,  one  half  of  the 


m, 


making  a  wide  ik4our,  approachctl  the  ground 
from  the  0]'>]v\<^ite  side,  while  the  rest  awaited  the 
signal  that  would  announce  their  being  ready. 

Those  lew  minutes  of  v.'aiting  were  very  hard  to 
bear,  for  the  moose,  seeming  to  get  some  wind  of 


MOUSK    HUNT 


t2() 


\\]r  (I;ii)H:cr   llncatcMint:    them,    showed    sitrnq    of 


■t-) 


itvsllessncss,  and  h('t:;;nj  lo  sfiiff  th(^  air  s»is|>i- 
t  iniisly,  and  ntlri  slian^r,  in(|nitin^  (;iiints.  I'Mit. 
;il  last  (he  wriid,  shi  ill  wh()(i|)  that  only  AkaiUhko 
knew  hnvv  to  ^\^'v,  piciiiv!  the  air  ;  and,  rch^ascd 
Ikhii  all  rcsliaint,  the  impatient  hunters  sj*ran^ 
forward  upon  t htdr  vi(  tims. 

The  snddeii  appearaiue  of  so  many  men,  shout- 
in;^;  at  the  top  (»f  their  voices,  tlirew  the  moose 
into  the  wildest  confusion,  and  they  hufidled  to- 
gether   in  the   eenter  of  the   yard,  tremhlin^  with 


terror 


11 


)is    was    precisely 


w 


hat     th<!    hunters 


wished.  Aimini;with  the  utmost  care,  for  every 
hiillet  was  as  precious  as  if  it  had  heen  made  of 
sdver,  they  hied  a  V(»lley  into  the  '^tru^^^.ding  miss 
ol  animals,  whii  h  hrouj^ht  a  niimher  to  the  t^rounrl 
I'hen  hurriedly  rtdoadin;^,  shr>uliii^^  loudly  ;dl  the 
time,  so  that  the  fri<;htened  creatures  would  not 
hreak    away,   they    repeated    the    voll(;y,  and  still 


more  wen* 


laid 


prostrate 


11 


le  massacre 


i,id   fi 


II  r 


to   include   the  entire  hcnd,   when,  just    after  the 


second   V(HU 


7. 


and   before   any   omi    had    time   tr) 


reload,    a    hu;.;c  hull    that    had    i)een  ordy    sli<^htly 
wounded  in  the*  neck,  broke  away  from  the  others, 


and,    utlerin;;    an    appalling;    roar,  charged    down 
upon  the  circle  of  slayers. 

It  chaiu'cd  that  Archie  was  ri^^ht  in  the  line  of 
the  animal's  onset.  His  father  had  moved  some 
distance  from  him,  but  saw  the  danger  even  be- 
fore Archie  did. 


I30 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


"  Oh !  the  lad,  the  lad  !"  cried  the  factor,  load- 
Hg  his  gun  with  feverish  haste.  He  could  not 
possibly  reach  the  boy  in  time  to  get  between  him 
and  the  bull,  but  a  well-aimed  bullet  might  save 
him. 

"  Look  out,  Archie  ;  run  to  me  for  your  life  ! " 
he  shouted,  ramming  down  a  heavy  charge. 

Archie,  intent  upon  watching  the  struggles  of  a 
young  moose  that  he  had  shot,  had  not  noticed 
the  bull  bearing  down  upon  him,  until  his  father's 
call  fell  on  his  ears ;  then,  aroused  to  his  immi- 
nent peril,  he  started  to  run  toward  the  factor. 
It  was  the  best  thing  he  could  do,  and  yet  it 
served  to  make  him  all  the  more  conspicuous  to 
the  infuriated  creature,  which,  sending  forth 
again  its  awful  roar,  and  looking  terrible  beyond 
description,  with  its  black  mane  erect,  bristling 
hair,  blood-shot  eyes,  and  foaming  mouth,  turned 
as  he  turned,  and  ploughed  through  the  snow  in 
hot  pursuit. 

Now  had  Archie  been  in  his  moccasins  on 
smooth  ground,  he  might  have  safely  defied  even 
a  fierce  bull  moose,  which  is  a  very  clumsy  ani- 
mal at  best  ;  but  he  was  upon  snow-shoes,  and  in 
the  midst  of  woods  where  the  roots  and  branches 
of  trees  protruding  through  the  snow  were  ready 
to  trip  him  at  every  step.  He  could  not,  there- 
fore, flee  at  full  speed  from  his  furious  pursuer, 
but  had  to  look  carefully  where  he  placed  his  feet, 
so  that  his  rate  of  progress  seemed  agonizingly 


MOOSE   HUNT. 


131 


slow  to  his  father,  who,  having  by  this  time  got 
his  gun  loaded,  was  hastening  to  meet  him. 

"  Quick,  Archie,  quick  !  "  cried  Mr.  McKenzie. 
"  He's  right  behind  you.*' 

Archie  gave  a  nervous  glance  over  his  shoulder. 
Sure  enough,  the  moose,  coming  on  at  his  lum- 
bering gallop,  was  not  more  than  twenty  yards  be- 
hind.    Oh!  if  he  only  had  wings  instead  of  snow- 
shoes.     His  feet  seemed  weighted  with  ^  ad.     A 
terror  such  as  he  had   never   known  in  his  life 
before  struck  to  his  heart.     He  felt  as  though  he 
could  not  breathe.     A  horrible  sense  of  suffoca- 
tion oppressed  him.     His  father  appeared  to  be 
hopelessly  in   the  distance.     Yet  life  was  sweet, 
and  he  would  put  forth  one  more  efifort  to  reach 
him.     Gathering  himself  together  for  a  supreme 
spurt,  he    leaped  forward   over   the   snow.      But 
before  he  had  taken  two  more  steps,  the  toe  of 
his  right  snow-shoe  caught  in  a  projecting  root. 
He  made  a  frantic  but  futile  effort  to  retain  his 
balance,  and   then  with  a  piercing  cry  of  terror 
plunged  headlong  into  the  snow,  ri^ht  in  the  path 
of  the  moose. 


CIlArTKR   X. 


TIIK    Kl   lUKN    IN    TRIUMPH. 


ARCHIE'S  cry  was  echoed  by  a  groan  of  hor- 
ror from  his  father.  Ejaciilatinj;-  a  prayer 
for  divine  help,  the  factor  leveled  his  gun  and 
firetl.  Hut  in  his  haste  he  aimed  too  high,  and 
the  bullet  did  the  moose  no  more  serious  damage 
than  to  pierce  a  hole  through  one  of  his  mighty 
antlers,  causing  him  to  shake  his  head  a  moment, 
and  tlion  c^mtinue  his  course. 

So  impetuous  was  his  onset  that  he  could  not 
check  it  when  he  came  to  Archie's  prostrate 
form,  and  planting  his  hoofs  upon  the  boy's  back, 
he  lumbered  heavily  past.  In  this  piece  of  good 
fortune  lay  Archie's  salvation.  By  a  trcmemlous 
effort  he  regained  his  feet,  and  ere  the  bull,  find- 
ing out  his  mistake,  could  wheel  about  and  renew 
the  charge,  he  had  dodged  around  to  the  other 
side  of  a  stout  birch  that  stood  fortuitously  near. 

In  the  meantime,  Akaitchko,  intent  as  he  was 
upon  bagging  the  whole  herd,  ha  i  become  aware 


132 


THE    KKTURN    IN     TKIUMPII 


133 


of  Arcliic's  peril  and  hastened  to  the  rescue.  It 
WIS  well,  not  only  for  Archie,  but  for  his  father, 
lh.it  the  old  Indian  appeared  when  he  did,  for  the 
t.iclor  delerniined  to  aid  his  son  at  all  hazards  ;  and 
knowing  there  was  no  time  to  reload,  he  dashed 
down  his  j;un,  and  drawing  his  hunting  knife 
ruslicd  recklessly  upon  the  moose  with  that 
inadequate  weapon. 

Seeing  Akaitehko  approaching  from  the  other 
side,  Mr.  McKenzic  stopped,  and  shouted: 

•*  Fire  ;   for  the  love  of  Heaven,  five  I  " 

Akaitehko  did  not  need  to  be  urged.  lie  was 
only  waiting  for  the  chance  to  take  such  aim  as 
would  make  one  bullet  do  the  work.  The  next 
moment  the  chance  came.  As  the  great  creature 
circled  about  the  tree,  striking  it  fiercely  with  his 
antlers  in  his  blind  fury,  he  presented  his  full  side 
to  the  Indian.  Instantly  the  leveled  gun  spoke; 
tiic  bullet  went  swift  and  straight  to  its  mark,  just 
behind  the  moose's  foreshoulder,  and  uttering  an 
awful  sound  —  half-groan,  half-roar  —  he  dashed  his 
head  against  the  tree  and  fell  over  in  the  snow, 
upon  whose  spotless  white  his  life-blood  soon 
made  ruddy  stains. 

The  moment  he  fell  Archie  forgot  his  terror  and, 
springing  out  from  behind  the  birch,  stood  over 
his  prostrate  foe,  crying  cxultingly  : 

"  Turn  about  is  fair  play.  You  trod  on  me  ; 
now  I'll  tread  on  you." 

The  fallen  giant  of  the  forest,  as  if  stung  by  the 


KH 


AurniK  or  ahiahasca. 


taiml,  \\vm\c  a  ilospvMato  ell  oil  to  iO};ain  Ins  led  ; 
but  all  \\\  vain.  His  power  lo  hann  was  ^;on(\  ;ni.l 
witl^    a    ilinp    si};h    lu'    laiil    down    Ins    \u,u\    .\\u\ 


oxpi 


\Ck 


vO. 


i\!\  !  hiiw  bij;  niOi)so,"  oxilainiotl  AKailrhl 
avlnnnnjjv,  as  with  his  cvo  ho  nicasnird  \\\v  \\),\<\ 
inlioont  ]>ropoi  lions  »>1  iho  anin^al.  I  Ir  was  indeed 
a  monster.  Mr.  MeKen/ie  in  all  his  (XpeiiiiKc 
\\.\i\  ne  vvi  soon  a  jjandor  spciimrn.  lie  ttMdd 
not  have  stoi)vl  less  than  twenty  hands  in  heirju. 
nor  tmnovl  the  sealo  at  nuieh  nnder  two  thonsmui 
pounds,  while  the  branihinj;  antleis  that  so  iov;dly 
ailornovl  his  niassivo  he.ul  were  full  six  let  t  lioni 
lip  to  tip. 

**  Next  tv>  my  joy  at  vonr  foitnnate  ese.ipc, 
Ate'nio  tlear.  is  tnv  s.itislaetion  at  our  seeunui;  so 
splondivl  a  nioi>se,"  said  l\lr.  MeKrn/io  ;  "  and  it  is 
von,  nn  i;ood  Akaitehko,  thai  I  have  to  thank 
iov  both.  Trust  nu\  1*11  not  lor.iiet  lu>w  nnu  h  I 
owe  vou." 

The  olvl  Indian's  eyes  i;leanied  with  pleasure  at 
the  factor's  words,  but  his  only  reply  was  a  kind 
ot  pleasevl  i;runt  as  he  bent  over  the  moose,  and 
began  the  work  of  euttini;  it  up. 

Leaviui;  him  to  finish  this  task,  I\lr.  MeKen/ic 
and  Archie  luniied  back  to  the  nunvse  yard  to  tiinl 
that  there  was  nothiui;  left  for  them  to  do  except 
assist  in  the  final  operation.  Harrini;-  a  few,  not 
more  than  a  score  altOi;ether,  which  had  followed 
the  example  of  the  big  bull,  and  broken  throuL;h 


'iiiK  Kr.TUKN   IN    ridtfMfir. 


ns 


\\\r  \.\{i\]  citrlr,  the  nitiir'  hnd  li.id  hrrn  l);itMr,<(|. 
A  !',i;»n(l(M  »l;iy'M  vvoi  k  ((hiM  rjnl  \)r  cofjc  civr*!.  ( )n 
ihc  tl;mi|>l('<|  ;m(l  Moody  stn»w  iH-lntr  them  tlio 
hiint(Ms  h;i<l  n  siifTicic'nl  wtoir  of  fl('li(  ioim  venison 
t(i  (;my  I  lie  loil  Mjilrly  tliroii^^li  Ihr  KMiiiiindcr  of 
\]\r  winlcM,  ;m(l  well  on  inio  !)ir  Mprin;;. 

No  inoic  lr;n  ttf  faiiiiiir  now.  Tir rd  ;ind  himj/ry 
;m  thr  nu'ii  vvnc,  llicy  cotdfl  not  srtllc  down  to 
(piic't  work  \\\\['\\  tliry  had  rxrcutc*!  a  dancn  of 
trintnpli  over  llirir  fallrn  victims,  and  cmhraccd 
one  anollirr  all  round  l>y  way  of  cxprcHsin^  their 
rxiihcrant  joy. 

p'orlhc  hnsinrssof  turnitiK  the  moose  into  meat 
Airhio  had  no  hankering.  On  the  contra?y,  he 
was  particulaily  anxious  to  see  a.H  little  of  it  as 
possihlo.  Yet  he  did  not  like  to  he  idlin^^  ahout 
when  all  the*  others  were  workin;^  like  heavers. 
Happy  thou[;ht !    There  was  something  he  could  do. 

'•  P'ather,  hadn't  I  hctter  j;o  hack  to  the  men  wc 
left  in  clKirj.;e  of  the  to])o^[;ans  and  tell  tliem  to 
come  along  ?  "  he  suggested. 

"  A  capital  idea,  my  lad,"  said  the  factor,  "  if 
you  don't  mind  goinj;  throur^h   the  woods  alone." 

•'Of  course  I  don't,"  replied  Archie  with  a 
superior  smile.  "  There's  nothing  in  those  woods 
to  harm  me.  So  come  along,  Edaiyc,  off  we  go  ;  " 
and  away  he  went,  slipping  swiftly  over  the  snow- 
drifts until  be  vanished  behind  a  ridge. 

His  route  was  plain  enough,  for  all  he  had  to  do 
was  to  follow  the  tracks  of  the  snow-shoes  back  to 


!ir> 


Aurnir,  or   aimahasi  A. 


\hv\v  si ;n lino  point  on  \ho  l>nnk  of  \ho  livor.  nnd 
the  (list.niro  IxMni;  not  nioio  tlmn  two  niilcM,  lie 
noooniplislu^l  it  in  U^sr  thnn  h;\\{  nn  lionr. 

Ho  to\nbI  t1)("  two  wwu  sittinjj  l^rsido  ;\  liMl(> 
fir(\  '.\\u\  nhnost  wild  with  inipiiticMno  ;nnl  niii- 
ositv.  Thrv  \y.\^\  hcml  the  ropotis  ol  tlio  |Mins 
so\n\«lini>  fnintlv  tlnon}>,l\  ihc  still  a'w  ol  tlio  foicsl 
i\\\y\    thov  ]\\\c\\   \\\;\{    thcii^  nnist    \^c  exciting  wmk 


in    ]>ro^ross. 


s  soon 


Atvl 


IK"    l.'UU 


t-> 


hi 


SI! 


.hi    of 


tlu^n,  ho  took  o\\  his  cMp  nntl  wavod  it  in  the  ;iii, 


sh»>ntinM 


Ihnrali!     hunah!    we've    killed    a    hundred! 


Ihnrah  ! 


Killed  a  Innidred  what  ?"  they  eried. 

A    hundred    moose,"    he   answered.      "Coiur 


alotu".      Uurrv  ni>.  an^l    help  them.     There's  any 
amount  o\  wovk  to  be  done." 

riie  men  did  not  need  mueh  h\nrvi?if^  up. 
(lathevius;  evervthiui;  together  they  hastened  to 
join  their  eomrailes,  Arehie  helpitii;  by  c1raiv:L;ini; 
two  oi    the  toboi^svans  as  his    share.     They  wero 


leav'.iv 


lad 


en. 


and  could   not  uo  very  fast,  but  the 


prospeet  o(  sueh  a  dinner  as  they  had  nt)t  enjoved 
for  many  a  day  ke]tt  them  from  i;etting- weary,  am! 
in  i^ooii  time  thev  reached  the  scene  of  the  hunt. 
On  their  w;i\  thither  they  noticed  i;ray  shailows 
t^ittinsr  silently  through  the  woods  to  risiht  and 
left,  and  at  intervals  a  wild  weird  howl  broke  in 
upon  the  stillness.  The  \yolyes  had  scented  the 
slaughter  and  wore  assembling  for  a  feast.     Clearly 


Tllf,    Klf/rtlRN    fN     ffMIfMfn. 


^}>7 


■?v^;"^s 


iIhmc    woiiM    hn   firc'l    rn(»ii^li   of   watfhcs    at    the 
( ;im|>  (IkiI   fiij;l)t. 

As  RMofi  rm  hf  ifjoirifvl  his  fatln^f,  Archif!  rr- 
poih'd  liavin<;  sorn  tln^  wcJvcs.  Itiflcrfl,  while  ho 
WIS  sppakinj.;  I  hero  eamn  a  howl  that  tohl  its  f»wr) 
slniy  from  the  top  of  the  rid^e  to  lh(;  tiidit. 

"  fust,  what  I  expectcch"  said  the  t,i(  tf>r.  "If 
we  vvaid.  to  keep  what  w(*  have  ^ot  we'll  have  to 
lii;ht  tli(»se  j;iay  devils  for  it.  Jiiit  I  don't  think 
we  need  1)0  afraid  of  thefii." 

Archie  did  not  at  all  like*  the  idea  of  heirif^;  snr- 
ronnded  l)y  wolves.  They  were  a  lor»f.^  distanre 
tmni  the  fort.  They  had  hut  a  few  rounds  of 
.nntnufiit ion  apiece,  and  loaded  as  the  tohoo;^ans 
would  he  with  the  p'ecious  meat,  it  was  hound 
to  he  slow  work  f;cttin^  !u)mc.  J>oy-like,  he  felt 
mnch  more  ilisturhed  at  the  idea  of  a  flan^f;r  that 
nii[;ht  continue  day  aft'*r  <lay,  than  of  a  [)cril  which, 
thoti;;h  far  more  scrir)ns,  would,  for  h("tter  or  worse, 
he  over  in  a  few  minutes.  The  f)l)ject  (A  their 
expedition  having  been  so  fully  accomplished,  he 
was  impatient  to  be  back  at  the  fort,  and  to  sec 
his  mother  .and  sister  enjoying  the  juif  y  venison 
that  would  be  brought  them. 

Confound    the   wc)lves  ! "  he   cxcla'med    in    a 


i( 


fretful   tone.     "Why  can't   they  leave   us  alone  .^ 


If  they 

selves,  and  not 


want  moose 
come 


meat,  let  them  kill  it  for  thcm- 
sncaking  round  us  watching 


for  the   first   chance  to  steal  what  we've  had  so 
much  trouble  to  get." 


138 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


The  factor  laughed  quietly. 

"  It's  not  the  way  with  wolves  to  consult  one's 
feelings,  Archie.  They  prefer  following  their  own 
sweet  will.  But  we'll  do  our  best  to  disappoint 
them  this  time,  won't  we,  laddie  } " 

"  I  hope  so,  father,"  replied  Archie  despond- 
ently. Then  after  a  pause,  he  added  :  "  Oh  !  how 
I  wish  we  were  safe  home  again.'* 

"  My  poor  boy,"  said  Mr.  McKenzie,  putting 
his  arm  about  him  tenderly,  **  I  don't  wonder  you 
say  so,  You  must  be  very  tired  of  this,  and 
greatly  in  need  of  a  rest.  I'm  just  thinking  I  was 
right  in  wanting  you  to  bide  at  home." 

The  fact  of  the  matter  was,  that  as  to  both  mind 
and  body  Archie  was  in  a  very  run-down  condition. 
The  meager  fare,  the  continuous  traveling,  the 
stress  and  strain  of  the  moose  hunt,  had  completely 
exhausted  him,  and  big  boy  as  he  was,  he  thought 
with  inexpressible  longing  of  his  comfortable 
home,  and  his  beloved  mother,  and  in  the  bottom 
of  his  heart  wished  that  he  had  not  left  them  to 
go  upon  this  expedition.  He  would  have  given 
anything  to  be  lying  on  the  floor  before  the  fire 
with  his  head  resting  on  his  mother's  lap,  and  her 
soft  brown  hand  gently  stroking  his  forehead  as 
she  loved  so  to  do.  Oh  !  that  dreadful  distance  o( 
b'eak  snow-covered  wilderness.  How  could  he  be 
patient  until  the  long  journey  was  over  ?  And  then 
the  wolves  1     Was  there  no  getting  rid  of  them  } 

But  he  had  to  keep  these  thoughts  to  himself, 


THE    RETURN    IN    TRIUMPH. 


139 


one  s 
•  own 
point 


pond- 
I  how 

Litting 

ir  you 

i,   and 

I  was 


g» 


for  everybody  was  too  busy  cutting  up  the  moose, 
and  packing  the  meat  snugly  into  the  hides  for 
transportation  to  the  fort,  to  pay  attention  to  any- 
thing else.  It  was  not  a  particularly  pleasant 
employment,  and  so  Archie  went  off  to  the  top  of 
the  ridge  to  see  how  many  wolves  were  gathering. 
Sure  enough,  there  they  were,  skulking  about 
among  the  trees  in  ever-increasing  numbers.  How 
he  longed  for  some  magic  power,  something  more 
deadly  than  the  best  aimed  bullet  or  arrow  where- 
with to  destroy  the  miserable  brutes ! 

The  work  was  but  half  done  when  night  came 
and  put  a  stop  to  it,  so  all  hands  turned  to  and  cut 
an  immense  quantity  of  wood  with  which  a  circle 
of  fire  was  built  about  the  camp,  and  then  two 
thirds  of  the  men  slept  while  the  other  third  kept 
watch. 

Tired  as  he  felt,  Archie  at  first  found  it  hard  to 
get  to  sleep.  The  wolves  drew  as  near  to  the  fire 
as  they  dared,  and  sittmg  upon  their  haunches 
howled  so  dolefully  and  persistently,  that  every 
now  and  then  those  on  watch,  losing  all  patience, 
would  snatch  up  burning  brands  and  charge  upon 
the  unwelcome  chorus,  causing  a  temporary  panic 
amongst  them,  and  securing  silence  for  a  while. 
At  length  during  one  of  these  lulls  he  dropped  off, 
and  did  not  waken  until  broad  daylight. 

That  morning  the  work  was  finished  ;  all  the 
meat  that  could  not  be  taken  was  slung  high  in 
the  trees  out  of  the  wolves*  reach,  in  order  that,  if 


\40 


AKnur  or    ATHAMAsrA, 


ticrossnt  V,  ri  «;rr«Mi(l  Itip  nii<;li(  l>o  inndr  fm  it  ;  nml 
1>\  niiilJin'  tlio  p.nlv  sI.uIimI  upon  its  uMinn  inm 
\\c\  \\'\\\\  no.nlv  thiiT  llinusaiul  pnniuls  nf  vcnimm 
sto\v«^l  r.\n  fully  n]>oti  tlic  tol)o^j^nns.  llcMvily 
lon«lovl  thtMi>;l\  tlu'V  wore,  \\\c\  hnpiMl  1()  ])c  im 
longer  ^ottiii};  l>Mrl<  than  ihcy  wimo  roinit^;  down. 
l>(\;uiso  with  stronj;th  s\istalur<l  l>y  ;\l>Mml;nit  Innd 
thov  woiill  he  i.\\yMc  ot  tnnrh  ^;r(Mtcr  rxntinn. 

(tixwtlv  to  tluMi  joy  aihl  ooinlort  the  lino  wralh»  t 
rontimuvl  \tnlMokrn,  aiiil*  as  no  nioio  snow  Icll 
thov  hail  tho  ailvantago  of  Ihc  path  biokoii  «»u 
thoii  wav  ilowti. 

'Vho  wolvos  followoil  tlirni  tlay  hy  <lay  and 
rofnsoil  t»>  ho  {ti>;htoncil  away.  I'A'ory  now  and 
(hon  ono  wonM  ho  shi>t  jnst  to  liM  th(^  paoU  in««lot- 
stai^vl  that  tho  hmUois  \voro  not  [o  ho  tiillod  with 
\\\\\  this  had  uo  ofloot  upon  tho  othors.  I'hoy 
just  pausod  lon^  cnon};h  to  oat  up  thoir  ooniiado, 
:uul  thon  OiMitinnoil  tho  p\ns\iit. 

It  was  toitnnato  ior  tho  hoayily-ladon  hunters 
tliat  thoy  woro  passini;  throu^;h  a  woll-wood(Ml 
coimtrv  whioh  atTonlotl  thoni  tho  moans  of  koopin^' 
\ip  bii;  tiros  ovoty  uii;ht,  or  assuroJly  noithor  thov 
nor  thoir  troasuro  wouKl  ever  hayo  rcaohoil  1mm t 
Chiivwvan. 

Arohio  fiHiuil  the  constant  presence  of  those 
tormentors  voiy  tryiuj;.  If  he  ct)ulil  only  have 
wai^c  .1  \yar  upon  them  with  powJer  ami  hullot,  he 
would  not  have  minded  half  so  much.  Ihit  it  was 
the   leaving  them  alone   that    bothered    him.     It 


Tlir,    MKinMN    IN     IKM/MIII. 


I4r 


mrincMl  In  liitn  lik(*  silling  still  ;uhI  ;illf»win^  yotir 
s(  II  In  l»r  freely  hillcii  l»y  mns«|nit»Mq,  witlumf  so 
iiHK  l»  as  laisiiiir  y<nir  ImikI  [a  hfimh  them  <»ff. 
Vcl  iIkmc  was  tio  olhcr  altci  native.  llowrvrr,thc 
l()Ht;rsl  joMrnry  as  well  as  the  lon^rst  tii^hf  had 
It';  cml,  and  with  tlu'  fort  drawing  nraicr  arifl 
IK  ,n(M,  his  d('|»r(»sscd  spirits  hr^an  to  assert  their 
el,isli(ity.  Instead  nf  "  ( onffnindinj.;  "  the  wolvc^^ 
he  (hnitecl  and  jccrod  at  Ihern.  The  (loser  he  ^^f»t 
In  h(Mne  the  more  absurd  the  (orjdnc  t  <»f  tfie  (  rea- 
Inics  seemed.  What  a  frnitless  (  hase  was  theirs  f 
He  almost  pitied  them  as  he  thon;;ht  of  the  pro- 
l(»nnd  distrust  they  would  feel  when  the  last  tohfi^- 
l',;m  passe»|  thiou^h  the  ^ate,  arnl  tin*  heavy  door 
sinil  them  out  coidemptuously  in  i)]r.  eold. 

On  the  twelfth  day  from  their  setting  out  the 
eyes  of  the  wearied  hutiters  were  ^jladderied  hy 
the  walls  of  P'ort  (hipewyan  comin;^  intr>  view, 
the  one  dark  patch  amid  tin*  universal  white. 
I'hey  halted  for  a  moment  to  s(!nd  up  a  cheer  — 
p(Kvder  was    too  preciojis  to  l)e  expended    in  a  /^/4 


tic  joic 


-  an( 


I  tl 


u*n  p 


)resse(i  eaL'er 


ly  f 


orwarr 


1.      !• 


re 


the  van  of  the  processiorj  reached  the  ^ate  the 
whole  garrison  poured  forth  to  welcome  it,  and 
the  air  was  fdled  with  cries  of  jf)y,  and  hearty 
|.^reetinj;s  in  ICnf;lish,  I^'rcnch  and  Chipcwyan,  as 
the  wives  and  children  ^atherefl  about  the  dear 
ones  whose  return  had  been  so  anxiously  awaited. 
Never  before  in  the  history  of  the  fr)rt  hafi  such  a 
scene  been  witnessed.     All  were  included  in  the 


142 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


rejoicing,  for  the  success  of  the  expedition  meant 
the  rescue  of  all  from  the  dreadful  possibility  of 
death  by  famine. 

As  soon  as  he  could,  the  factor  withdrew  to  his 
own  quarters,  and  with  Virj;inic  and  Rose-Marie 
for  small  but  sulTicicnt  audience,  and  Archie  as 
prompter,  proceeded  to  relate  the  events  of  the 
trip  ;  the  dewy  eyes,  trembling  lips,  and  chan«;in5; 
cheeks  of  his  listeners  showing  how  deeply  the 
story  stirred  them.  When  he  told  of  Archie's 
narrow  escape,  Mrs.  McKenzie  threw  her  arms 
about  her  son.  and  pressing  him  to  her  heart,  lifted 
her  eyes  upward  as  she  murmured  : 

*'  How  kind  the  good  God  is  !  lie  heard  my 
prayers  for  my  boy,  and  kept  him  safe.  What 
wouUl  I  have  done  if  that  dreadful  moose  had 
crushed  him  to  death  ?  "  and  she  shuddered  at  the 
very  thought. 

In  the  comforts  of  home  Archie  soon  forgot  all 
his  tribulations  while  on  the  expedition,  and  re- 
tained but  one  regret  ;  namely,  that  he  had  not 
been  able  to  kill  more  of  those  scoundrelly  wolves. 
He  found  great  enjoyment  in  relating  his  adven- 
tures to  Sawtloulai,  and  the  other  boys.  They 
were,  of  course,  eager  for  every  detail,  and  if  in  his 
desire  to  satisfy  their  interest  he  added  sundry  em- 
bellishments to  the  narrative,  why,  what  boy  would 
not  have  been  tempted  to  do  the  same  under  simi- 
lar circumstances  }  The  truth  of  the  matter  was, 
he  rejoiced  in  the  prestige  which  the  fact  of  his 


THE    RETURN    IN    TRIUMPH. 


'43 


leant 
Xy  of 

:o  bis 
VI  uric 
lie  as 
if  the 
n^Miii; 
y  the 
chie's 
arms 
,  lifted 

rd  my 
What 
e  had 
at  the 

ot  all 
id  re- 
not 
olves. 
adven- 
They 
in  his 
ry  em- 
would 
simi- 
jr  was, 
of  his 


d 


bcin^  the  only  boy  in  the  party  naturally  pjavc  him. 
The  older  be  grew,  the  stronger  bceame  his  thirst 
for  leadership.  lie  could  not  brook  the  idea  of 
ixuy  other  boy  at  the  fort  being  bis  match  in  any- 
thing, and  the  more  complete  and  unquestioned  his 
supremacy  stood,  the  better  he  was  pleased.  Mis 
position  as  the  factor's  .son,  was  of  course  very 
much  in  his  favor.  Indeed,  but  for  this  he  might 
have  had  more  serious  opposition  than  he  had  in 
the  varii>us  contests  of  skill  and  strength  that 
were  often  taking  place.  Mi.*'  competitors  natu- 
rally shrank  from  doing  their  best  against  him,  lest 
they  might  incur  bis  ill  will,  anrl  from  this  cause 
he  sometimes  won  victories  that  could  have  been 
defeats. 

The  result  of  all  this  was  the  development  of  a 
consequential  patronizing  manner  that  was  much 
to  be  regretted,  and  of  which  the  two  junior  clerks, 
Stewart  and  Mr.  McGillvray,  were  especially  con- 
scious. It  irritated  them  exceedingly,  and  caused 
them  to  cherish  in  their  hearts  a  vigorous  desire  to 
"  take  the  young  cub  down  a  peg  or  two,"  at  the 
first  opportunity.  The  factor,  too,  was  not  una- 
ware of  this  failing  on  his  son's  part,  but  thought 
it  well  to  say  nothing  about  it. 

"The  lad's  young,  and  if  he  sticks  out  his  horns 
too  far,  he'll  learn  by  plenty  of  hard  knocks  to  haul 
them  in  again.  Doubtless  I  was  just  as  foolish 
myself  at  his  years." 

If  the  truth  must  be  told,   Mr.  McKenzie  was 


M4 


\n\  inn   or    a  inAHAm  a 


tnUtno  \r\i'i  Hf,  to.>.  h;».|  ht-rn  loi  in;tnv  vcmm 
won!  to  h  n  i»  p\in\  nnu  h  ol  Ium  »uvn  \v:(V  i«i  Int 
]\nlo  Jonvnn  \\\  \\\r   l\r.\H  ol    il\i'  (  ;\nntli,n»  vviMi  f 

»>!"<"*,    AWA    A'i    \\y\\\  \\     M**    IMl      \\'i'Ul7rI,    \\\r     ni'vl     ill 

»«M\n^i;n^J,  IonimI   ,\n»l  H'^MM  toil   Intn.  ho   i  i»nlil   not 


hxA 


>    »»onu't\n\o>;    \viylnn|i,    ll\;H     I\i4    rlncl     |);i<|    not 


10    >  ,>o 


I 


\\\    opnMOM   o 


i   I 


niU'^i 


•11, 


iM    mn  li    tin 


I « 


>\\('\Jo\\t  o  in  luM  own  jndf^'jnrnl  \\\\\ 
{\ww  ,\\\^  spot"*  o«<  tho  4nn,  (In'v  •»■»>•.  snnl  ihr 
M\  Kon7\o's,  1;Ul\ot  AwA  son,  h;\il  !n»  inoio  lli;n) 
(ho\i  shno  o<  Innn.ni  li,nll\.  lo  wbirh  il  woiild  noi 
l>,U"0  bo\"n  t>o\A^ss.\r\  to  n\.\Ko  a\\\  ioliMoin<\  ImiI 
tot  U  <*  b\\\nno,  ;\s  \a\  .\s  »on»«Mtn'il  om*  ol  (Iumm  :»I 
IvMst.  \i]^on  to\tlnonn\to  o\onts 

Attoi  \hc  ovoitonn'nt  o»  v  ;<siono»l  by  tho  tiMniM 
ot  \hc  )un)tois  Ivul  snl>si,h>,l,  hlo  wont  on  vny 
i^nuMK  A\  tlu'  toit  Altlb>nj;b  snllit  iont  nn':»t  h;iil 
Iwn  l>ro\u:bt  \n  to  Its!  \\'\\\\  stnrl  oronnniy  nnlil 
tho  spunj;.  Mi  Mv  Konrio  thonrJ\t  it  \\v\\  to  <<rml 
ot^  .^  ]Mi*\  1oi  \\]i.>t  l\.ul  l>v  t  »\  lott  bnn|;  »i|>  in  [\\c 
tuvs  .\^^^^voin^l^ .  tho  tnon  who  h;ul  HMtiiUin d  ,«t 
tho  loM.  \>;th  Ak;\Uv'bKo  as  ^:ni«lo.  \v<m«'  tlispatrhtd 


«n 


.Um  tV 


0  v\>tnni 


.uul  otMi    Strwait   l«>  «lo  this  woik 


AwtuMii.u.  t^uul)   to  ]\is   joN .  wus   ]>rtnntto»l  to  .ic- 
Ivls  t.^thor;   .\\\i\  t;u  hotter  nrovi«lo»l   th.\ 


vvn.v,\An\ 


in 


Xhc  tiT-st    ]\\\\\    h.hl    boon.   \hc  soooml    cxpo^htion 
st;^itod  j^.ulv   so\ith\v.Uil       Vhc\  wore  i;ono    only 


toil 


AV!*.    .\T"I( 


h,u\ 


,\  \'C\\  K\\\'\c\   titno  o 


f  it, 


oxropt 


when  the  \vv>lvcs  sal  arounJ,  and  howled  thcni  Lo 


I  III'     Ml    I  Ml' M     IM      I  f  Iff  Ml  M. 


'  1 


mI«>(>h  I  Im'V     '"'III'I     Mm      »m'  :if       fifif 'pil'  li'  'I,     ;ifi'l     iff 

I .( •  1 1  ( •  I  I  »  M » I  f  I  i  I  i '  1 1 1 ,   ;  M I » I   1 1  r '  1 1 1 J '  1 1  (   I »  If  k   f  I '   I  f  I  /  ;  I  ;  r  M 1 1 '  1 1 

;|'!     I  lie     mI||»|c!      IikI      t\m\l  III'        t>iii,,,,\      '.((ntilv      f'«. 


IIM'V'"' 


I     ill 


\\i  I  'i;';! 


(  V   I'll     ';  1 1 '  I  r  I 


f  ;if  mpH",,  ;tn'\    iilf'tif 


I ' 


ii'iM'fl  vvli't'-  I  Mil  ill'    lii'l  I  Im 'if '  ri' 'I 


'ijililll',  i'!  ;«  v»l  V  l;i('|'.M  'I  '  'iffi'  f  l'»  I     i'^'-  A  I  li.if»,r;<  ;i 
N"l    mil  il    A  I  til  I  'luru  ( It'    ;iM     ^f 'iW   fill/    /J.n  fii,    ifi'l 
llir    uiiM\v    uli'Mv    qi(Mm  ol    'liq;i(»(i'   ir  irij'^        Onl/    f,n". 
V'M  V   M'W   In  ( lt«-  »  oil  III  I  y   w'liiM  1/11    Hi  ink   /J   |,iifif 
mi;  Imi     Miiy  Ijnvvm  in  IIm    ni'infli  fli'ir     iiir/i'    ^n^- 
1'^;        M,iV    indrrd    ji;    friMif^   ;i    frcnlli  of    rrci'l    .ifi'l 


f  4 


4MI 


;li   III 


fl 


i;Mi   :i  II  villi  11^',  rmf 


II, r   |,,|h 


;ir '    ^^  r'Mrnifii/ 


Willi  w.il'  I,  ih'l  III'  hollows  ;m''  fiirn''l  info  pon'I'-;, 
llii  |»ioo|<'^  into  IoimhK  'llirrr  is;  ;if»-;oliif '  ly 
llMl||il|^  lo  lif  fl'iii'-^  I, III  If,  vv,Mf  for  Hi'  7/'»ri'l 
,11  MiiiM I   yoii   I  o  'Il  y   lip. 

riii';  w.i'j  III*'  IImi''  of  III'"  y,ir  tliaf  Ar'  }»i'  fonri'I 
It, ml  lo  ;•(  I  lliioiif'li  If  w,m  K>i  lift'  '»7'tIi'  I'l  th;i^ 
';l,iyiii<;  mmIo'um  ';(  f  in'-'l  <.iif  f»f  fli''  '|ii' --.hori,  l/i»f 
llirii  il  w  m  Mt  wt'f'li''l  iMi'l'  r  f'»'»f  fii-if  '*ri';  roul'I 
•  I't  ii'il  lull"   vvli'  II  lir  w,m  '*iit 

I  lir  (l.iy;,  I  li'i'  I'M' ',  'Ir.it^f.';^'!  fi'Mvily,  ?iri'l  h^ 
lookc'I    loiw.ii'l  Willi  mil'  Il  irrii»;it  if  ri' r  t'*  U\f'.  f/trn 


mi;  ol    llic   mmnii'i     in   'Mrnrnf.  ;    w}i':r)    f.v.ryt hjnj/ 
IS  jiossililc,   ;in'l    f;if  li    I'mi;^   'l;iy   rru^^ht    be  filUyJ 


w 


with  ciilcipi  is(!  ;m'l  a(  hicvcrricnt. 


^  w  \v\  m; 


nV^nn  \J      N  \     »  iM»  \     \   S\\\'\\\\  \    •  N 


i.\>     I  ktt  t  t.ti  >.  .•>  I         V.I...      ,\.  I.. 


<»^'    nup;U\r\H       \<>  Inr.   thr  .1  m  '«   r  » •  w    Wl 


I  iMt'l 


W  It  !     W  rh  (Mill-   •iltlUIMi  I 


>;M5i  ;H«   <nMil 


)  I 


i\\\\\  )\^\\i\y'\ .  inn  \\   It  lm(  1 1n>  1 1 

\\w\   hA%  not   tho  >i\\\\y^  li'Ujjh  ol    Iil,>  ,im  nn.-  Imili 
^o\t<h.  l>nl    wUw    i(    1<,  Kq    in  Jniilmn    il    inMl(r'4    n 
n>    Iv.uMx         I  !n'  ,1  n  q   ;n.>   lMi}>l«l.  .  I.m  mfl 
>XHl^o\\t   iMMn.;  opiM,<u«;i\,'  .    ||n«  ni.'lilM    \\v  ,  ,...1 
»\^<u^-M\\n>:        K  nn  ,  onn  >;  l>nt  ml.lMni         I  Iin  cinnifl 


\V  II  III. 


mill 


*  *  \  \ 


r'^     tio  r\>    in     wnitri     tli.H     i|     )i,'\  ni 


ir;illv 


I'.'t.ux  s  owt    to   tho    )'<M  toin     I  rl 


wwi    'nidn  irnt    iii.ti;! 


\n\'  \y^  \on»'.oi    \  A\\\  A\\\\K^'i\   nnn 


<  I  r«4<4,tt  \' 


III 


ir  III  n 


tu^5   y\\\   on  .\  «o]no  ol    luho'il    rjom    '4p:tni-lr.l  willi 


^xx 


v'^r»  \nn\nuon;> 


ij 


I  1)0   ( 


\cr'i  l>oMi(|i>   I  In',  w.ilt  I 


vNMrsv's   w^^tio   ptx>nolv   tn    [\w   Imo.to    II 


iril 


nnil 


n\i;  WAM.tli  o<    tol',,\v;o 

t•\^n^    tJ>o\i    xx;n;oi     ulnoo   \\\    \\w 


Tho  l>il,|>;.  rl.ul   to  lio  Im,  k 


MMllh,     <'\|UOv;s 


t,>c;r  ION    \x\    xxonvUMlul    xx.nMin;^.    whilo    llio    .Iroi 
j;rv>\v  |.;t   \:|vn  then  votJ.nit    p.istmcs,  Iho  luMvns 


146 


fc«MMMr  M     A  f     Vnv  f     /  Miff  W  V  AM 


M/ 


(nil    >"Mh'  ';llv    '••     lie   i»     'liMt".   »fi»-    (m-Ii    I'  '»|i    t:|»-rf  Hifff/ 
j.(\  "MM   MM')     Hhh'l  (r»  >-|_    Ml    l||/     ffii'lt    /.f     '/III/  K     ■}(!/ 


Mil'-      ItMMM* 


'M'th 


)'•     'I     •'Hid' 


'I'f'l 


'I    I  \>    1 1    I  tifl".'  \'f\'  '• 


•  lii'l     ••     <i(|M«    ')t(|t|tlv    n\     'if'lifiif/    '  'iffif'ir  f '!,    I    iU    K  r//^' 

An»l    All  lii»'  (vrin   li'ijipy         M'»»  ri   li  i(.[.i'  f    f.'r/  fri'f 
I'imI     tf|iHM    I  li>«   f  nfi  I  (M'  (if    ,     f'ff     l»''',i'l'  •■     '  rn', /(fi:/     rl) 

||m>    «•<!'!»"»»(  ill'!     I't     l('l|l(»iff",'!     JM'-.f      IfCfif  l'ir,r.- I       f,,.        /^ 

id  I  III"    III  '1 1     Mm  ill   'if     I  It  if     |ii '  '  i'di  ;    |.|'    t    >tr '      '/Ni'  h 
I  iim<  '1     (»MMi     |||»>    <;'  h'-,'-   'if     li'ifif     /  'ifi:  i'l'  r '  'I     -'iffif' 
lliiiil'     lii'iM-   llrili   'I    Mi'M     li'i/  If'    'li'l    fi'if    'K'rr'.^r 

llif     iili  •!    'if     fnii(li'i'i/|     fliif     ((',     Mfifi  i|»|  (I  I  /   >'i'i    '(ff'ff 
It'  I'l    hy    |i'iy>;    «t|     lii^)    .•);>'•  |  '»    «-.rfi'.l"-     f    f»i;/     f'lp'",    ^'# 

»  Im  \v    ri    |iMjM>  '  ii'l,   \>i    i^v'-Mf     :»    f'»iif»'l    'iiffi,  'I, 'I    r,^tf 


Mill/'     liin  '  'III'  '  |»f  I'ln  'if    Ml  I  fill  M'^^ 


f 


r.  l^ 


>', 


•'•r*'] 


;i  liiill'  I  'M  .III  ;iii'i7/  ';ff;ii|(lif  f'»  if  ;  ronrk,  ^'r  ^»'»'I''I|a 
;l  iinm^  ll'iMl  iff'  f  li'iKf  7/(f}i'»'if  Mii-;'-;tr»J(  ;»  '-•♦'r'fk'*, 
Im  ( I  ;Mii|» 'III  f.ii'»\v  ^li'»'  ■■•.  f'lMf  Mill' '■;  ;ir»  fi'fir  for  h;ilf 
;i  'I. IV  willi'iiif  j'.iffiMj/  '!'»  "M  f'»  r' N^,  ^'»  K^v/ ri'l'*  ;i 
liilf  l»l'il<'  M  li'ii';'  ;iM'l  <■,>!'  U  \\,'rf'  iir.^il  ^h'-  '  r^?♦. 
III!',  jiiiif  iii;'_    ;in'l    '  »'li  nr-.f''!,    ' '»f,f'  ■-.-^  ^I    <VfA;if    f/, 


I  .1   li  i|i  '".'»  '  •MiMMif';!/  ffi,it    ^7^n  ^K 


/ 


Ml'    I'  il    I  '71'  I  MM         f  li'  ••,'•    '/'  r' 


rri'-  of  H-)'"  ;it*r>rrM*'^« 


III  Ml  I II I  I'l' »' I,  ,1'  '  'M  'I  Mi;*;  f'(  fii-.  ri  \  I  ',S  '•hirilri  ri  v  ^  ir,''! 
.ill  til''-.'-  Il'  (i'((--.'-;f  c;t;r<|  in  ;i  t\»"jrt-t'  •whi'l'i  t*-u'\f-t*'A 
flu-  (ii'tly  lii:':li  '»|.iMi'»ri  h'  fi^l'I  ''»f  KirriS'-lf  ;^^  li^Jisf 
rxM|i;;il»lr,  if  not  ;iUo;^rt fi^r  aMrf>ii';iM<»' 

II''    I'Mifi'l    f(rr;it    cTijO/r  ,/T,f    in    r'-'OinMnj;    hi^ 
v;iiions  exploits  to  hr-;   rno' r»';r   ;ir 


\'\    ^i^ 


^ff. 


7 


143 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


had  nothing  but  applause  for  him.  They  never 
dreamed  of  offering  eithei  criticism  or  counsel. 
Everything  that  he  did  seemed  good  in  their  eyes, 
and  he  desired  no  more  appreciative  audience. 
But  his  tongue  did  not  wag  quite  as  freely  in  his 
father's  presence.  If  he  had  been  talking  much 
aboi'^"  himself,  and  chanced  to  glance  at  the  factor's 
face,  he  was  apt  to  find  its  rugged  outlines  touched 
with  a  kindly  yet  quizzical  smile  that  sometimes 
caused  him  to  feel  as  though  his  father  verc 
amused  at  him  instead  of  being  impressed  by  him. 
In  fact,  although  it  made  his  checks  burn  to  take 
'hat  view  of  it,  he  could  not  help  thinking  some- 
times that  the  factor  would  have  very  much  the 
same  look  if  he  were  watching  the  antics  of  a  con- 
scious puppy  dog.  One  evening,  after  he  had  been 
dilating  at  some  length  upon  the  way  in  which  he 
had  mastered  a  two-year-old  horse,  whose  educa- 
tion was  but  begun,  Mr.  McKenzie,  who  had 
listened  with  no  small  pridv^  to  the  story  of  his 
son*s  prc^wess,  hiding  this  feeling  behind  the  smile 
that  bothered  the  boy  so  much,  said  quietly  : 

"Eh,  lad.  No  d ^ubt  but  you  did  well.  It's  no 
easy  job  to  stick  fast  to  one  of  those  wild  crea- 
tures. But  tho*  you're  learning  how  to  master 
them  finely,  I  was  just  thinking  that  there  was 
something  else  you  need  learn  to  master,  Archie, 
which  may  be  a  tougher  task  than  even  the  two- 
year  old." 

Pleased  at  his  father's  praise,  which  was  all  the 


SUMMER    AT    FORT    CHIPEWVAN. 


149 


ill  the 


more  precious  for  beinj^  sparingly  bestowed,  Archie 
forgot  the  curious  smile,  and  asked  eagerly  : 

*'  What  is  it,  father  ?  I'm  not  afraid  to  try  any- 
thing that  there's  any  sense  in  trying." 

**  There's  plenty  of  sense  in  trying  it,  Archie," 
answered  the  factor.  *'The  wisest  men  have  been 
those  who  tried  it  hardest." 

By  this  time  Archie  began  to  suspect  that  it 
was  not  something  in  the  physical  world  his  father 
had  in  mind,  and  that  he  was  coming  in  for  a 
bit  of  a  lecture.  But  determined  not  to  flinch  he 
asked  again  : 

"  Well,  father,  what  is  it  ?  I'm  in  a  hurry  to 
hear." 

"  You've  got  to  go  no  farther  than  yourself  for 
an  answer,  laddie,"  replied  Mr.  McKenzie,  the 
smile  giving  place  to  a  look  of  profound  affection 
as  he  added:  **  You're  m.uch  concerned  to  be  a 
man,  Archie,  and  I'm  not  saying  it  becomes  you 
ill  to  have  such  notions.  But  there's  no  use  in 
hurrying  off  if  you're  not  ready  for  the  road.  If 
the  porridge  is  too  hot,  it's  better  to  let  it  cool 
than  to  scald  your  mouth  with  it,  and  before 
thinking  so  much  of  breaking  in  horses,  and  such 
like  doings,  you'd  do  well  to  make  sure  that  you're 
broken  in  yourself." 

Archie  blushed,  and  was  silent.  He  felt  tempted 
to  protest  against  his  father's  words.  He  was 
sure  he  did  not  deserve  them.  But  somehow  or 
other  the  tongue  that  could  say  so  much  in  argu- 


ISO 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


ment  with  anybody  else  always  seemed  stiff  and 
halting  when  the  discussion  was  with  the  factor, 
so  deeming  discretion  the  better  part  of  valor,  he 
held  his  peace,  as  well  as  his  opinion  that  he  knew 
well  enough  how  to  take  care  of  himself.  Had  he, 
however,  been  able  to  look  a  few  weeks  ahead  he 
would  have  hardly  deemed  the  hint  so  undeserved. 

So  soon  as  the  traveling  became  good  the  In- 
dians began  to  make  their  appearance  at  the  fort, 
bringing  with  them  the  bales  of  furs  which  repre* 
sented  the  results  of  their  winter's  trapping.  The 
first  to  arrive  were,  of  course,  the  Chipewyans,  a 
quiet,  peace-loving  and  fairly  honest  people,  sturdy 
of  stature  and  dark  of  countenance,  who  under 
various  tribal  names,  but  speaking  much  the  same 
language,  occupied  the  vast  region  extending  from 
Hudson's  Bay  to  Lake  Athabasca,  and  thence 
northward  to  the  snow-covered  territories  of  the  Es- 
quimaux. They  were  excellent  hunters,  and  gen- 
erally came  well  loaded  with  valuable  peltries  with 
which  they  discharged  the  debts  incurred  the  pre- 
vious autumn  for  supplies  advanced,  and  then 
were  granted  fresh  credits.  For  the  factor  always 
found  them  trustworthy  customers.  Their  debts 
were  debts  of  honor,  and  whatever  their  hunters 
and  trappers  secured  came  straight  to  him.  If 
they  returned  with  empty  hands,  it  was  entirely 
because  fortune  had  not  favored  them  in  their 
precarious  business. 

During  the  trading  season  everybody  was  very 


gen- 

with 

|c  pre- 

then 

11  ways 

Idebts 

inters 

If 

;irely 

Itheir 

very 


SUMMER   AT    FORT    CHIPEWYAN. 


151 


busy  at  Fort  Chipewyan.  The  annual  visit  thither 
was  the  great  event  in  the  Indian  calendar,  and 
they  took  care  to  make  the  most  of  it.  Bringing 
all  their  families  and  possessions  along  with  them, 
they  would  set  up  their  tepees  not  far  from  the 
walls  o^  the  fort,  and  proceed  to  business  with  a 
deliberation  and  indifference  to  the  flight  of  time 
that  tried  hard  the  patience  of  the  white  man. 
But  to  hurry  them  was  out  of  the  question.  It 
would  have  given  offense  to  suggest  that  their 
concerns  were  not  of  the  utmost  importance,  and 
a  falling  away  in  custom  would  have  surely  re- 
sulted. The  only  thing  to  do  was  to  have  as  many 
to  wait  upon  them  as  possible,  and  thus  remove 
all  excuse  for  unnecessary  delay,  and  accordingly, 
as  either  interpreters,  clerks  or  packers,  there  was 
work  for  everybody. 

What  Archie  liked  was  to  be  in  the  trading- 
room  with  his  father,  and  to  watch  the  Indians  as 
they  came  in  one  by  one,  unrolled  their  pack,  and 
selected  their  supplies.  He  had  a  decided  bent 
for  business,  and  was  no  poor  hand  at  a  bargain 
himself,  having  inherited  a  good  share  of  his 
father's  Scotch  shrewdness,  and  the  factor  af- 
forded him  opportunity  for  developing  his  com- 
mercial talents  by  allowing  him  to  do  some  trading 
in  his  own  interest,  the  basis  of  his  operations 
being  what  stood  in  his  credit  for  the  furs  he 
trapped  himself  during  the  winter. 

The  way  they  did  business  at  the  fort  was  as 


152 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


follows  :  The  Indian  with  his  pack  of  furs  came  to 
the  trading-room  where  he  was  welcomed  by  the 
factor>  and  given  a  small  present  of  some  kind  to 
put  him  in  a  good  humor.  Only  one  Indian  was 
allowed  in  at  a  time.  Having  opened  the  pack, 
and  separated  it  into  lots,  according  to  the  differ- 
ent kinds  and  qualities  of  skin,  the  factor  then  put 
a  valuation  upon  each  lot,  and  handed  the  expect- 
ant Indian  a  numljer  of  little  pieces  of  wood,  indi- 
cating the  number  of  "  made  beavers  "  to  which 
his  "  hunt  "  amounted.  For  the  beaver  was  then 
throughout  the  whole  Northwest  what  the  dollar 
is  amongst  us  to-day  —  the  common  standard  of 
values,  and  medium  of  exchange. 

Everything  that  could  be  bought  and  sold  had 
its  value  in  **  made  beavers." 

Having  made  sure  that  he  had  got  all  the  sticks 
the  factor  could  be  coaxed  or  cajoled  into  allowing, 
the  trapper,  feeling  almost  as  rich  as  an  Astor, 
next  proceeded  to  the  storeroom  where  he  found 
himself  surrounded  by  a  bewildering  wealth  of 
blankets,  guns,  knives,  hatchets,  powder  horns,  bul- 
lets, flasks,  kettles,  traps,  tobacco,  tea,  and  so  forth, 
so  that  his  feelings,  as  he  gazed  eagerly  about  him, 
were  pretty  much  like  those  of  a  hungry  school 
boy  let  loose  in  a  confectioner's.  Then  would 
business  really  begin  ;  and  then  would  the  dusky 
purchaser  by  his  hesitation,  his  indecision,  his 
sudden  changes  of  mind,  his  unreasonable  de- 
mands, and  childish  sulking  at  their  denial,  test 


SUMMER   AT    FORT    CHIPEWYAN. 


153 


ime  to 
by  the 
:ind  to 
in  was 
pack, 
differ- 
en  put 
expect- 
d,  indi- 
I  which 
IS  then 
J  dollar 
dard  of 

Did  had 

sticks 

llowing, 

Astor, 

found 

1th   of 

s,  bul- 

forth, 

t  him, 

school 

would 

dusky 

n,   his 

le  de- 

L  test 


the  patience  and  diplomacy  of  the  factor  and  his 
clerks  to  the  utmost.  The  bundle  of  skins  was 
soon  found  to  be  inadequate  to  the  demands  made 
upon  it.  A  blanket  took  twelve  of  them,  a  gun 
twenty  more,  a  kettle  ten,  a  hunting  knife  two, 
and  there  was  not  half  enough  left  for  all  the  tea 
and  tobacco  he  craved. 

So  there  would  be  more  coaxing  and  arguing 
and  promising,  until  at  last,  having  been  granted  as 
much  credit  as  the  factor  deemed  prudent,  rnd 
realizing  that  there  was  nothing  more  to  be  gained, 
the  Indian  would  take  himself  off  to  his  tepee  to 
proudly  exhibit  his  purchases,  and  boast  of  the 
good  bargain  he  had  made,  while  another  hastened 
to  fill  his  place;  and  thus  it  went  on  all  day  long, 
until  the  whole  band  had  been  served. 

While  part  of  his  staff  were  thus  engaged,  the 
other  part  were  sorting,  cleaning,  and  repacking 
the  furs  in  secure  bundles  for  dispatch  to  Fort 
William,  thousands  of  miles  away  on  the  shore  of 
Lake  Superior.  The  canoes,  too,  had  to  be  put  in 
thorough  repair,  and  new  ones  built  if  necessary, 
plenty  of  pemmican  laid  down,  and  other  prepara- 
tions made  for  the  long  journey  by  river,  lake,  rapid 
and  portage  to  the  central  depot.  Mr.  Wcntzel 
was  to  take  charge  of  this  expedition,  and  Archie 
begged  hard  to  be  permitted  to  accompany  him. 

"Surely  I'm  big  enough  to  go  now,  father,"  he 
pleaded,  "and  I  would  like  it  so  much.  Mr. 
Wentzcl  says  he'll  be  very  glad  to  have  me." 


154 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


"  I  quite  understand  your  being  eager  to  go, 
Archie  boy,"  said  the  factor  kindly  ;  "  but  sonic- 
how  I  feel  as  if  I  couldn't  be  without  you  this 
summer." 

"  lUit,  father,  I  haven't  been  to  Fort  Williai.i  or 
even  to  Red  River  since  I  was  a  little  chap,  and  I 
do  so  want  to  go,"  j)ersisted  Archie. 

The  factor  took  the  boy's  flushed  face  between 
his  hands,  and  turning  it  up  so  that  their  eyes 
looked  straight  into  each  other,  said  in  a  tone  so 
serious  that  it  went  straight  to  his  son's  heart : 

•'  I  cannot  explain  why,  Archie,  but  something 
tells  me  you  had  better  not  go  away  from  me  this 
summer,  and  to  heal  your  disappointment  I  promise 
you  this  :  if  all  is  well  ne.xt  year  I'll  take  not  only 
you,  but  mother  and  Rose  also,  and  we'll  all  go  to 
Fort  William  together.  What  say  you  to  that, 
laddie  ^ " 

In  an  instant  the  clouds  vanished  from  Archie's 
face,  and  were  replaced  by  a  beaming  smile.  I''or 
the  sake  of  such  a  delightful  prospect  as  that  he 
was  quite  willing  to  forego  the  pleasure  at  hand. 

"Hurrah,  father!"  he  cried,  "that  will  be  just 
splendid.  I  won't  say  another  word  about  going 
with  Mr.  Wcntzel,"  and  so  the  matter  dropped, 
very  much  to  the  factor's  satisfaction. 

Hut  busy  as  they  were  at  Fort  Chipcwyan  in 
summer  time,  it  was  not  all  work.  There  was 
plenty  of  play,  too.  In  the  long  lovely  evenings 
after  the  day's  work  was  done,  there  were  races 


SUMMICR    AT    FORT   CIIIPEWYAN. 


155 


on  foot  and  on  horseback,  wrcstlinj]^  contests, 
lacrosse  matches,  canoe  races,  and  other  sports  in 
which  the  garrison  of  the  fort  and  the  picked 
athletes  of  the  lodges  round  about  were  pitted 
against  each  other.  No  one  enjoyed  these  games 
more  than  the  factor  himself,  and  he  encouraged 
them  by  offering  prizes  frequently,  which  were 
very  eagerly  competed  for. 

About  midsummer  there  came  to  the  fort  a  large 
hand  of  Indians  from  the  plains  of  the  Peace  River. 
They  were  much  superior  in  stature  and  looks  and 
general  bearing  to  the  Chipewyans,  and  were  in 
fact  unusually  fine  specimens  of  the  red  men. 
They  had  a  rich  supply  of  .skins,  and  from  the 
way  in  which  they  prepared  their  encampment,  it 
was  evident  they  proposed  to  make  a  long  stay, 
taking  advantage  of  their  nearness  to  the  lake  to 
(jo  a  good  deal  of  fishing. 

They  proved  to  be  very  expert  in  all  the  amuse- 
ments in  vogue  at  the  fort,  and  not  an  evening 
passed  without  some  c.xc'ting  event  taking  place. 
Among  the  boys  of  this  band  was  one  in  whom 
the  clerks,  .Stewart  and  McGillvray,  found  what 
they  had  long  been  looking  for  ;  namely,  a  rival 
that  Archie  would  have  hard  work  to  defeat. 
This  was  the  eldest  son  of  the  chief,  a  stalwart 
shapely  lad  of  sixteen,  to  whom  the  name  of 
Heddakoonnai,  or  the  Lightning,  had  been  given 
because  of  his  remarkable  fleetness  on  foot. 

He  was  a  very  fine-looking  young  fellow  of  about 


156 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


the  same  height  as  Archie,  but  more  lightly  built. 
His  countenance  was  pleasing,  if  his  complexion 
was  dark,  and  when  he  smiled  he  displayed  two 
rows  of  shining  teeth  that  no  dentist  could  have 
counterfeited.  Being  the  chief's  son,  he  was 
always  clothed  in  the  best  of  buckskin  and  beads, 
and  altogether  presented  quite  a  striking  appear- 
ance as  he  moved  over  the  ground  with  the  long 
lithe  step  peculiar  to  his  race. 

The  first  time  that  Beddakoonnai  and  Archie 
met,  the  pale-faced  boy  realized  that  he  was  no 
longer  to  have  matters  all  his  own  way,  and  the 
spectators  congratulated  themselves  on  the  pros- 
pect  of  some  more  than  usually  exciting  contests. 
The  occasion  was  a  race  of  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  in  length.  Archie  had  entered  simply  for 
the  f'ln  of  the  thing,  expecting  to  have  no  dif- 
ficulty in  winning.  He  noticed  the  new-ccmer 
among  the  starters,  but  took  it  for  granted  he 
would  have  no  particular  trouble  in  defeating  him. 
Accordingly  he  was  careless  about  starting,  and 
allowed  the  others  to  get  well  off  before  he  moved 
hims^'r  Then  he  put  on  a  spurt  to  overhaul 
then  nd  one  by  one  they  were  caught  up  to  and 
left  hind,  until  by  the  time  the  race  was  two 
thirds  run  only  one  remained.  This  was  the  tall 
dark  son  of  the  Peace  River  chief,  and  Archie  did 
not  fail  to  notice  the  ease  with  which  he  was 
speeding  over  the  ground.  Calling  upon  himself 
for  the  best  that  was  in  him,  Archie  made  a  des- 


SUMMER   AT   FORT   CHIPEWYAN. 


157 


perate  effort  to  run  down  the  Indian.  For  a  few 
moments  it  looked  as  though  he  would  succeed. 
The  distance  between  them  materially  decreased. 
Already  he  had  begun  to  exult  in  another  victory, 
when  to  his  intense  chagrin,  just  as  they  were 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  the  Indian,  who  seemed  to 
have  plenty  in  reserve,  put  on  a  sudden  burst  of 
speed  that  left  Archie,  who  had  shot  his  bolt  too 
soon,  hopelessly  in  the  rear,  and  carried  him  to 
the  goal  a  winner  by  full  fifteen  yards. 

Archie  felt  his  discomfiture  keenly.  He  blamed 
himself  for  having  been  indifferent  about  getting 
a  good  start,  and  determined  to  wipe  out  the  stain 
of  defeat.  His  keen  eye  at  once  caught  the  gleam 
of  malicious  satisfaction  in  the  faces  of  Stewart 
and  McGillvray  as  they  pretended  to  sympathize 
with  him  and  encourage  him  by  saying : 

'*A  sly  chap  that  chief's  son,  Archie,  though  no 
green  hand  at  racing.  You'll  have  to  give  him  a 
good  beating  next  time  for  the  honor  of  the  fort. 
It  would  never  do  for  an  Indian  to  worst  our 
champion." 

And  even  his  father's  well-meant  words,  "Aha! 
Archie,  my  lad  ;  met  your  match  this  time,  eh  ? 
Well,  we  can't  always  have  it  all  our  own  way, 
you  know.  If  the  Indian  boy  can  beat  you  at 
running,  you  doubtless  can  beat  him  at  some- 
thing else,  so  don't  take  it  to  heart,"  angered  rather 
than  soothed  him,  because  they  seemed  to  imply 
that   Beddakoonnai   had  conclusively  proved   his 


158 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


superiority,  and  this  the  young  Scotchman  was 
far  from  being  ready  to  admit 

He  hardly  slept  that  night  for  worrying  over 
the  surprising  result  of  the  race,  and  early  the 
next  morning,  taking  Sawtloulai  with  him  as  in- 
terpreter, he  sought  out  the  Peace  River  chief's 
tepee,  and  gave  Hcddakoonnai  a  formal  challenge 
for  another  trial  of  speed  that  evening.  The 
young  Indian  accepted  with  an  alacrity  that  rather 
disconcerted  his  challenger.  It  seemed  to  indicate 
such  a  serene  confidence  in  his  own  supremacy. 
But  this  was  not  really  the  ca.se  ;  the  truth  of  the 
matter  being  that  the  night  before  McGillvray  and 
Stewart  had  paid  a  visit  to  the  Indian  encampment, 
and  after  expressing  in  big  words  their  admiration 
of  the  fleet-footed  lad,  had  promised  him  what 
above  all  things  his  heart  desired,  a  good  gun,  and 
a  supply  of  ammunition,  if  he  would  again  defeat 
his  pale-faced  opponent. 

Heddakoonnai's  eye  flashed  eagerly  at  the  offer 
of  this  tempting  prize,  and  in  his  own  tongue  he 
cried,  accompanying  th**  words  with  expressive 
pantomime: 

"  My  name  is  the  Lightning.  To-morrow  I  run 
like  lightning.  My  pale-faced  brother  will  sec 
nothing  but  my  back.  O,  yes  !  I  am  the  light- 
ning.    No  one  can  run  so  fast  as  I." 

When  Mr.  McKenzie  heard  of  the  intended 
race,  he  attempted  to  dissuade  Archie  from  it. 

•'  I  doubt  if  you're  doing  well  to  try  that  Indian 


SUMMER    AT    FORT    CIIIPEWYAN. 


159 


chap  so  soon  apjain,  Archie,"  said  he.  **  I  never 
saw  one  of  his  kind  show  a  cleaner  pair  of  heels. 
You'd  better  have  a  little  practice  first,  I  think." 

*'  Tut,  father ! "  replied  Archie  impatiently. 
"  I  can  beat  him  ri[;ht  enough.  It  was  only  be- 
cause I  was  so  foolish  as  to  let  him  get  a  good 
head  start  that  he  beat  me  last  night." 

The  factor  sniilei'  one  of  his  deep  shrewd  smiles, 
and  shook  his  head  in  a  sceptical  way  as  he 
answered  : 

"  Maybe,  my  lad,  maybe  ;  but  don't  be  o'er  sure. 
They  tell  me  the  boy's  name  means  the  Lightning, 
and  lightning's  pretty  hard  to  beat,  you  know." 

hut  Archie  was  not  to  be  dissuaded.  He  could 
think  of  nothing  else  but  the  race,  and  would  have 
no  peace  of  mind  until  it  was  over  and  done  with. 
Meanwhile,  the  word  went  round  of  his  challenge 
nnd  its  acceptance,  and  everybody  in  the  fort  and 
among  the  encampments  looked  forward  eagerly 
to  the  approaching  contest. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


LESSOR? 


C'j  , 


f   TU   BE   FORGOTTEN. 


WHEN  the  time  ca  e  for  the  race  to  be  run, 
Archie  was  by  no  means  in  the  best  of 
condition  to  do  himself  credit.  He  had  hardly 
slept  the  previous  night,  and  had  fidgeted  and 
fussed  all  day  until  he  had  got  himself  into  a  fever- 
ish excited  state  that  could  not  fail  to  tell  against 
him.  Now  and  then  the  voice  of  his  calmer  reason 
found  opportunity  to  whisper  that  he  would  show 
more  wisdom  by  postponing  the  race  than  by  per- 
sisting in  it.  But  the  mood  of  unreason  was  upon 
him,  and  he  yielded  to  its  sway. 

The  event  took  place  at  six  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing. The  distance  had  been  fixed  at  half  a  mile  as 
affording  the  fairest  test  of  both  speed  and  endur- 
ance. The  track,  it  need  hardly  be  explained,  was 
not  a  modern  cinder  path,  but  as  level  a  piece  of 
prairie  as  could  be  found  in  the  near  neighborhood 
of  the  fort.  Starting  from  the  top  of  the  slight 
slope,  the  runners  would  descend  it  to  a  stretch  of 

i6o 


5  run, 

2St  of 
lardly 
I  and 
fever- 
^ainst 
eason 

show 
y  per- 

upon 


even- 
lile  as 
indur- 
i,  was 
ece  of 
irhood 
slight 
tch  of 


....*^ 


t 

f 


b 
t 
1 
t( 
h 


LESSONS    NOT    TO    BE    FORGOTTEN. 


i6i 


level  ground,  and  then  after  crossing  it  come  to 
another  slope  upon  the  side  of  which  a  stake 
driven  into  the  ground,  with  a  blanket  thrown  over 
it,  formed  the  turning-point,  and  thence  back  to 
the  goal. 

Every  man,  woman  and  child  in  the  fort  and 
encampment  turned  out  to  witness  the  contest. 
Archie  was  the  first  to  make  his  appearance,  his 
face  having  an  anxious  impatient  expression  that 
showed  how  deeply  he  was  stirred. 

Beddakoonnai  did  not  keep  him  waiting  long ; 
and  as  he  passed  through  the  crowd,"  McGillvray 
caught  his  arm  a  moment,  and  whispered  in  his  ear  : 

"  Remember  now,  you  beat  him  well,  and  you 
shall  have  this,  too,"  and  he  touched  the  handsome 
hunting  knife  that  hung  in  his  belt. 

The  Indian  gave  one  of  his  brilliant  smiles  by 
way  of  reply,  and  hastened  to  the  starting  post. 
Archie's  quick  eye  did  not  miss  this  little  incident, 
and  in  an  instant  he  understood  its  meaning. 

"  He  wants  him  to  beat  me,"  he  murmured  bit- 
terly. **  That's  all  he  cares  for  the  honor  of  the 
fort." 

Mr.  McKenzie  was  the  starter,  and  as  the  two 
boys  ranged  themselves  in  line  he  was  struck  by 
the  d  iff  ere  ice  in  the  expression  of  their  faces. 
The  Indian  looked  excited,  but  sanguine  of  vic- 
tory. His  eyes  were  flashing  with  eagerness,  and 
his  whole  body  seemed  to  quiver  like  a  fine  steel 
spring.    Archie,  on  the  other  hand,  had  a  stern  set 


'1 ' 


l62 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


look,  as  though  his  very  life  were  at  stake.  The 
color  had  entirely  deserted  his  face,  his  breath 
came  in  quick  short  pants,  and  he  showed  none  of 
the  bright  confident  spirit  of  his  rival. 

"  Keep  a  tight  hold  upon  the  rein,  laddie,"  said 
the  factor  in  a  low  tone.  "  Don't  go  too  fast  at 
the  start." 

Archie  made  no  reply,  except  to  tighten  the 
grip  of  his  fists,  and  fix  himself  more  carefully  at 
the  line. 

•*  Are  you  ready  ?  "  cried  the  factor,  while  the 
spectators  held  their  breath.  "  Then  —  go  !  "  and 
amid  the  shouts  of  the  men,  and  soft  murmurs 
from  the  women,  the  two  boys  dashed  off  shoulder 
to  shoulder. 

Now  had  Archie  been  in  his  ordinary  cool  canny 
state  of  mind  he  would  never  have  acted  as  he  did. 
But  instead  of  that  he  was  so  wrought  up  as  to  be 
quite  out  of  his  own  control,  and  as  though  his 
idea  was  to  distance  his  opponent  at  the  start,  he 
(lashed  down  the  slope  at  the  very  top  of  his 
speed,  opening  a  wide  gap  between  himself  and 
Beddakoonnai,  it  was  true,  but  causing  his  father 
to  shake  his  head  gravely,  and  exclaim  : 

"Tut!  tut!  what's  the  lad  about  .^  He'll  be 
blown  before  he  reaches  the  blanket." 

Stewart  and  McGillvray  looked  into  each  other's 
faces  with  a  smile  and  said  : 

"  He's  doing  our  work  for  us.  He  can't  keep 
that  up." 


LESSONS   NOT   TO   BE   FORGOTTEN. 


163 


Meantime,  the  Indian,  going  as  easily  and  lightly 
as  a  bird,  had  reached  the  level  ground,  and  put  on 
a  spurt  which  reduced  by  one  half  Archie's  lead, 
and  when  the  two  came  to  breast  the  other  slope 
the  ascent  seemed  to  matter  little  to  him,  while 
it  was  evident  that  Archie's  speed  was  slacking. 
When  they  turned  the  stake  the  white  boy  led  by 
fully  ten  yards,  and  taking  advantage  of  the  down 
hill,  he  let  himself  out  for  another  burst  that  gave 
him  ten  yards  more  before  the  Indian  followed  his 
example. 

Then  Bcddakoonnai,  as  though  hitherto  he  had 
been  only  trying  to  keep  Arciiie  in  sight,  but  now 
proposed  to  show  the  speed  that  was  in  him, 
uttered  a  shrill  whoop,  swung  his  arms  about  his 
head,  and  bending  forward  like  a  young  tree  in  the 
wind,  bounded  over  the  level  with  the  spring  and 
stride  of  an  antelope.  More  beautiful  running 
could  hardly  have  been  conceived.  Never  had  the 
people  at  the  fort  seen  anything  to  surpass  it.  So 
light  was  the  boy's  step  that  it  seemed  as  though 
his  foot  might  have  touched  upon  a  grass  blade 
without  crushing  it.  On  he  came,  overhauling 
Archie  at  every  stride.  The  twenty  yards  were 
quickly  cut  down  to  ten,  the  ten  reduced  to  five, 
and  as  the  runners  reached  the  foot  of  tlic  final 
slope  they  were  once  more  shoulder  to  shoulder. 

Then  did  Archie  regret  his  folly  in  forcing  the 
pace  at  the  start,  for  while  he  was  laborini;  hard, 
his  chest   feeling  as  though    it   would   burst,   his 


164 


ARgillE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


brain  reeling  and  his  legs  weakening  under  him, 
the  Indian  boy  at  his  side  was  running  as  steadily 
and  strongly  as  though  the  race  were  only  begun. 
Concentrating  all  his  energies  upon  one  supreme 
effort,  he  strove  to  make  a  finishing  spurt  that 
would  carry  him  first  to  the  goal.  But  the  effort 
was  vain.  Beddakoonnal  perceived  his  purpose. 
His  time  had  now  come.  Once  more  he  gave  his 
piercing  whoop,  and  then  leaping  to  the  front  left 
his  opponent  behind  almost  as  though  he  had  been 
standing,  and  shot  over  the  line  an  easy  winner, 
while  poor  Archie  staggered  blindly  after  him,  and 
would  have  fallen  but  for  his  father's  prompt  sup- 
port. The  Peace  River  Indians  showed  their  joy 
by  a  chorus  of  guttural  "  Ughs  !  "  intermirgled  with 
whoops,  in  which  McGillvray  and  Stewart  would 
dearly  have  liked  to  join  had  they  dared  thus  to 
openly  express  their  glee,  and  the  factor,  too  big 
of  heart  to  withhold  a  due  mead  of  praise,  even 
though  the  victory  was  over  his  own  son,  gave 
the  panting  Indian  a  hearty  clap  on  the  back, 
exclaiming  : 

*•  Well  done,  young  fellow  !  Prettier  running  I 
never  srnv  in  my  life  ;  you  deservec^  to  win,"  and 
thtMi,  taking  Archie  by  the  arm,  hurried  him  off 
home  to  dress  and  rest.  So  profound  was  his 
son's  chagrin  that  Mr.  McKenzie  niaile  no  attempt 
to  console  him,  knowing  well  it  would  be  a  more 
waste  of  words.  When  they  reached  the  house, 
Archie,  giving  no  heed  to  the  expressions  of  tender 


LESSONS    NOT   TO    BE    FORGOTTEN. 


I6s 


•  him, 
eadily 
jegun. 
prcme 
t  that 

effort 
irposc. 
we  his 
mt  left 
d  been 
vinner, 
m,  and 
pt  sup- 
cir  joy 
cd  with 

would 
hus  to 
oo  big 
J,  even 
I,  j;avc 
back, 

ining  I 

I,"  and 

|im  off 

as   his 

jltcmpt 

more 

llioiise, 

tender 


sympathy  his  mother  and  sister  sought  to  make, 
went  straight  to  his  own  room,  threw  himself  upon 
his  bed,  and  burst  into  a  wild  passion  of  tears. 
Never  in  his  life  before  had  he  met  with  so  keen 
a  humiliation,  and  the  bitterest  part  of  it  was  the 
conviction  deep  in  his  heart  that  there  was  little 
hope  of  his  ever  wiping  out  the  defeat  he  had 
sustained.  Beyond  a  doubt,  in  Beddakoonnai  he 
had  met  more  than  his  match,  and  further  trials 
would  only  have  the  same  result. 

He  did  not  leave  his  room  until  the  following 
morning,  and  by  that  time  there  was  fully  formed 
in  his  mind  a  plan  for  retrieving  his  reputation  in 
part,  at  least,  the  thought  of  which  somewhat 
restored  his  equanimity.  If  Beddakoonnai  was 
swifter,  he  was  surely  stronger.  lie  would  issue 
another  challenize.  This  time  to  a  wrestling 
match.  Wrestling  was  always  a  favorite  amuse- 
ment among  the  Indians,  and  his  old  friend 
y\kaitchko  had  taught  him  every  trick  of  hold  and 
tackle  known  to  that  wily  veteran,  so  that  no  one 
of  his  own  age  or  weight  had  ever  been  able  to 
vanquish  him.  Accordingly,  he  |)aid  the  Peace 
River  tepees  a  second  visit,  and  through  his  faith- 
ful Sawtloulai  made  known  his  wishes. 

Tiie  Indian  was  not  quite  so  prompt  about  tak- 
ing him  up  this  time.  He  knew  well  jn()u;;h  how 
to  wrestle,  but  his  eyes  told  him  that  Arclne  had 
more  strength,  and  if  his  skill  were  equal,  why,  he 
was  sure  to  get  the  best  of  it. 


166 


AK(  llir,    OF    ATllAnASCA. 


••  riir  1  ij;htnin^'s  tired,"  ho  said  doubtfully, 
**  aihl  Ins  no  hc.wi  for  wrcstliu*;.  V\'dl  uot  his 
p.'ilo  I.uinI    ]>rotl\cr    run    anolhor    raio  ?  "    and    ho 


snii 


lod 


in  a   I'onscious   \\;v 


that 


was  viMy  a^j;ra- 


vatni: 


No  ;    1   will  n(^t    run   another  v,\cc  just   now, 


•I 


roplioil    Aivhio 


Hut    I    will    wrestle.      Is    the 


la^htnini;  at  raid  to  wrestle  with  nie  ?  " 

lU^idakoonnai's  eyes  flashed  at  the  tauntmj; 
question,  and  just  then  Mr.  Stewatl  appeared  with 
faee  full  ot  euriositv.  Instantly  the  Indian  threw 
awav  his  assumed  indilTerenec. 

"Is  tlu  l.i^htnini;  afraid.'"  he  eiied,  sprinj;- 
ini;  to  his  feet,  and  wavin;;  his  arms.  "  No  ;  he 
is  uo\.  lie  will  wrestle.  (>,  yes!  he  will  wrestle 
with  his  p.di*  faeeil  brother."  And  he  struek  an 
attitude  as  though  he  wouKl  be;;in  at  onee. 


*•  It  is  well,"  answered  Arehie  (piietlv.  '*  W** 
will  wrestle  at  suuilown,"  and  he  went  aw.iy  with 
Sawtloulai. 

As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sij;ht,  lU'ddakoonnai, 
with  a  er.iflv  look  in  his  bri;:ht  eve.  tnrncil  to  Mr. 


Stewart. 

"  Mv  pale-faeed  brother  wants  t(>  wrestle  with 
nuv  Wh.it  will  the  white  ehief  i;ive  me  if  I 
thri»w  him,  so,"  and  he  j>ointed  e.xpiessively  to  the 
ground. 

"What  \\ou\A  Ueddakoonnai  like.'"  asked  Mr. 
Stc^v    »"!.  wdlin:;;  enoni;h  to  do  anvthini;"  that  would 


insure  Archie  geitin>;  another  "  takin^^  down, 


•I 


LT^TSJ 


IF.SSONS    NOT    TO    IlK    FOl<(iO  i  Tr^.N. 


i6y 


'•  Mcddiikoofuiai  would  like  to  Iiavo  a  liatrlict, 
sharp,  sharp,  sharp,"  and  he  showed  his  i^'Jistcniiig 
loith. 

(Juito  iclicvcd  at  the  moderation  of  the  rcrpiest, 
Mr.  Stewart  reachiy  promised  to  comply  with  it, 
and  tin*  !,i;;htnin;;,  on  his  part,  promist^d  to  do  his 
host  t<»  ;^;ive  Archie  another  bealin;^. 

The  lu'ws  of  the  second  mat(  h  soon  spread,  and 
when  the  time  catne  everybody,  as  before,  was 
tliere  to  witness  it.  Archie's  bearin;^  was  so  tlif- 
feront  this  time  that  his  father  did  not  think  it 
necessary  l»»  ^ive  him  any  cautioning;.  Instead  of 
bciii);   anxi<»us   and    impatient,    he    was   calm   and 


resomit 


lut( 


I 


e  seemec 


1  to  1 
d  t 


lave   regained   his  confi- 


dence HI  himsell,  and  to  entertam  no  fears  as  to 
the  result.  Hut  his  mother,  who  dirl  not  alto- 
gether like  wresllini;  matches,  fearing  souje  strain 
or  injury,  could  not  refrain  from  sayin;; : 

*•  He  veiy  careful,  Archie.  Don't  overdo  your- 
self." An<l  Archie  smiled  reassurin;^'ly,  and  said, 
•'All  ri;;ht,  mother;  I'll  take  good  care  of  myself." 

The  wicstliiig  took  place  upon  a  smooth,  soft 
level  piece  of  turf  just  outside  the  gate.  Th 
.spectators  ranged  themselves  in  a  circle,  the 
women  and  children  scpiatted  upon  the  ground, 
the  men  standing  up  behind  them.  There  w.  ,  a 
nuirmur  of  admiration  as  the  two  boys  stepped 
into  the  ring,  accompanied  by  their  fathers  as 
seconds.  They  were  both  naked  to  the  waist, 
their  only  clothing,  in  fact,  being  short  buckskin 


1 68 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


breeches  just  reaching  to  the  knee,  and  thin  soft 
moccasins.  The  style  of  wrestling  was  that  known 
nowadays  as  catch-as-catch-can  ;  and  starting  from 
opposite  sides  of  the  ring  the  contestants  ap. 
proached  until  but  a  yard  apart,  and  then  circled 
warily  about  each  other,  watching  for  a  good 
chance  to  jump  in  and  tackle. 

The  contrast  between  the  pair  was  very  striking. 
Archie,  with  skin  as  fair  and  smooth  as  a  woman's, 
except  where  the  sun  could  burn  it,  and  compact, 
well-knit  frame,  set  his  feet  firmly  upon  the  sod  at 
every  step,  while  the  Indian,  as  brown  as  a  nut, 
and  lithe  and  active  as  an  eel,  seemed  to  touch  the 
ground  only  with  tip-toes.  For  a  couple  of  min- 
utes thty  dodged  and  feinted,  and  then  Archie, 
seeing  his  opportunity,  sprung  at  Beddakoonnai, 
and  gripped  him  around  the  waist,  an  '  the  strug- 
gle began.  At  the  start  the  issue  was  by  no 
in^ans  certain.  What  the  Indian  lacked  in 
strength  he  seemed  to  fully  make  up  in  expert 
agility.  He  writhed  ai?  1  squirmed  and  twisted  in 
Archie's  grasp,  mecth  g  artifice  with  artifice,  and 
showing  thorough  training  in  the  exercise.  Evi- 
dently he  would  have  to  be  tired  out  before  he 
could  be  overcome. 

To  and  fro  they  swayed  and  staggered,  locked 
tight  in  c?.ch  other's  embrace,  now  one  seeming 
to  have  the  advantage  and  then  the  other.  The 
spect  \tor.*j,  who  had  begun  by  cheering  every  mo- 
ment, soon  grew  so  absorbed  that  they  forgot  to 


LESSONS    NOT    TO    BE    FORGOTTEN. 


169 


cheer,  and  the  struggle  went  on  amid  perfect 
silence.  At  length  Archie's  superior  strength 
and  stamina  began  to  tell.  Slowly  but  surely, 
twist  and  contort  as  he  would,  ]kddakoonnai's 
supple  form  was  bent  backward  until,  with  a  sud- 
den supreme  effort,  Archie  swung  him  clear  off 
his  feet,  and  pinned  him  to  the  ground,  with  both 
shoulders  pressing  into  the  turf.  It  was  as  fair  a 
fall  as  would  be  asked  for,  and  springing  to  his  feet 
Archie  walked  back  to  his  fnther,  smiling  triumph- 
antly, while  the  Indian,  with  a  sullen  countenance, 
picked  himself  up  and  went  to  his  corner. 

The  arrangement  was,  that  they  should  wrestle 
the  best  two  out  of  three  bouts,  and  after  a  five 
minutes'  rest  they  faced  each  other  again,  and  the 
cautious  seeking  for  an  opening  recomment;  .jI 
This  time  the  Indian  was  the  first  to  attack,  and 
so  quick  was  his  onset  that  he  had  secured  a  favor- 
able hold  before  Archie  could  ward  him  off.  Hut 
even  this  advantage  might  not  have  availed  him 
much,  had  not  his  opponent,  ere  they  had  been 
struggling  a  minute,  lost  his  foothold  through  the 
sod  giving  way.  Bcddakoonnai  felt  Archie's  feet 
slip,  and  seizing  his  opportunity  with  a  swiftness 
worthy  of  his  name,  put  forth  his  whole  strength, 
and  at  the  same  time  gave  Archie's  other  foot  a 
vicious  kick.  It  was  not  a  fair  thing  to  do,  but 
it  succeeded.  Unable  to  recover  himself,  Archie 
fell  over  on  his  side,  and  thence  upon  his  back, 
and  thus  lost  the  second  bout. 


I/O 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHAnASCA. 


The  excitement  was  now  intense.  Each  of  the 
boys  had  won  a  fall,  and  although  the  chances  were 
if  anything  in  Archie's  favor,  still  Beddakoonnai 
had  plenty  of  vigor  left,  and  was  much  inspired  by 
his  success,  against  which  his  opponent  scorned 
to  protest,  even  though  it  had  been  obtained  by 
resorting  to  a  mean  expedient. 

"Keep  very  cool,  laddie,"  whispered  the  factor 
to  his  son.  "  He'll  soon  tire,  and  then  you  may 
do  with  him  what  you  please." 

/wrchic  smiled  and  nodded,  and  took  his  place  in 
the  ring.  They  were  much  longer  this  time  than 
before  in  coming  to  close  quarters.  They  feinted 
ana  fenced  about  the  circle,  each  trying  his  best 
to  gain  some  advantage  at  the  start,  until  at  last 
by  a  common  impulse  they  rushed  together  and 
grappled.  Bearing  in  mind  his  father's  injunction, 
Archie  at  first  did  keep  cool,  and  sought  to  do  ro 
more  than  frustrate  the  Indian's  clever  and  im- 
petuous efforts.  But  as  the  struggle  went  on  his 
blood  ro.^e.  Beddakoonnai,  determined  to  win  at 
any  cost,  put  into  practice  every  knavish  trick  the 
cunning  fellow  knew.  He  dug  his  sharp  nails  deep 
into  Archie's  back.  He  tried  more  than  once  to 
thrust  his  knee  into  his  stomach.  He  even  bit 
him  upon  the  shoulder. 

Then  did  Archie  lose  all  control  over  himself. 
The  wild  blool  in  his  veins  aso^erted  its  presence 
as  it  had  never  done  before.  A  passion  of  fury 
seized  upon  him,  so  transforming  his  countenance 


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LESSONS    NOT   TO    BE    FORGOTTEN. 


171 


that  his  father,  catching  a  glimpse  of  it  as  the 
wrestlers  swayed  to  and  fro,  felt  strongly  tempted 
to  rush  in  and  part  them.  But  the  thought  that 
his  action  might  be  construed  to  mean  over  anx- 
iety for  his  son  restrained  him. 

Well  would  it  have  been  had  he  thus  interfered, 
for  a  few  moments  later  Archie,  beyond  all  thought 
of  the  consequences,  shook  himself  free  from  Bed- 
dakoonnai's  grasp,  and  then  rushing  at  him  again, 
caught  him  around  the  waist,  and  bending  his 
back,  with  a  tremendous  effort  hurled  him  clear 
over  his  head.  With  a  dull  thud,  that  sent  a 
thrill  through  the  breathless  spectators,  the  Indian 
struck  the  ground,  and  lay  there  motionless. 

With  a  fierce  look  of  triumph  his  conqueror 
stood  over  him,  and  stretching  out  his  hand  said  : 

"  Here  you  are.  Let  me  help  you  up."  But 
Beddakoonnai  never  stirred.  Startled  at  his  still- 
ness, Archie  bent  down  and  lifted  his  head.  It 
lay  limp  and  lifeless  in  his  grasp.  The  eyes  were 
closed ;  no  breath  seemed  to  come  from  the  set 
lips.  With  a  sharp  cry  of  alarm  he  laid  it  down 
again  just  as  the  others  gathered  round,  wonder- 
ing what  was  the  matter.  In  a  moment  all  was 
clear.  A  sunken  stone,  from  which  the  turf  had 
been  torn  away  by  the  wrestlers*  feet,  had  received 
the  Indian  when  he  fell  headlong,  and  a  bleeding 
bruise  just  over  the  right  temple  told  its  own 
story.  Beddakoonnai,  if  not  already  dead,  was 
perilously  near  it. 


172 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


Instantly,  all  thought  of  triumph  in  Archie's 
mind  gave  way  to  keen  concern  for  his  vanquished 
opponent. 

"  O,  father !  he  is  not  dead,"  he  cried.  "  He 
cannot  be  dead.  I  did  not  mean  to  kill  him, 
indeed  I  didn't." 

"  Of  course,  of  course,"  said  the  factor  consol- 
ingly ;  "  don't  fash  yourself,  laddie.  He's  only  lost 
his  wits  a  minute.  We'll  soon  briiig  him  to  ; " 
and  then  stooping  down  he  lifted  the  senseless 
form  gently  upon  his  mighty  shoulders,  and  strode 
rapidly  off  to  his  own  house,  Archie  keeping  at 
his  side,  his  heart  heavy  with  apprehension. 

On  reaching  the  house  the  medicine  chest  was 
ransacked  for  restoratives,  which  were  one  after 
another  applied  by  Mr.  McKenzie  and  his  wife, 
but  apparently  to  no  purpose.  Beyond  a  hardly 
perceptible  breathing  the  Indian  showed  no  sign 
of  life.  The  hours  dragged  on,  and  still  he  moved 
not.  Archie  was  in  a  pitiable  state  of  anxiety. 
He  could  not  remain  in  the  room,  but  would  rush 
out  and  wander  aimlessly  around  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  then  come  back,  asking  eagerly  : 

'*  Has  he  come  to  yet } "  only  to  be  met  with 
the  answer: 

"Not  yet,  Archie." 

Oh  !  how  bitterly  he  reproached  himself  for  his 
mad  outburst  of  rage.  He  could  easily  have 
thrown  Beddakoonnai  without  hurting  him  at  all, 
for  the  boy*s  strength  was  nearly  exhausted,  and 


LESSONS    NOT    TO    BE    FORGOTTEN. 


173 


in  a  minute  more  he  would  have  been  like  a  child 
in  his  hands.  But  alas !  he  could  not  hide  from 
himself  the  painful  truth  that  a  desire  to  be  re- 
venged, as  well  as  to  triumph,  had  filled  his  heart. 
His  father's  words: 

"  Before  thinking  so  much  of  breaking  in  horses, 
you'd  do  well  to  make  sure  that  you've  broken  in 
yourself,  Archie,"  came  into  his  mind,  and  each 
one  of  them  brought  a  pang  of  remorse.  He  felt 
that  he  had  borne  himself  more  like  a  savage  than 
the  son  of  a  Christian  gentleman.  With  passion- 
ate earnestness  he  vowed  that  never  again  would 
he  disgrace  himself.  He  felt  that  if  Beddakoonnai 
really  died  he  could  never  be  light  of  heart  again. 
His  whole  life  would  be  shadowed  because  of  a 
moment's  blind  fury. 

While  the  anxious  hours  dragged  slowly  on, 
there  sat  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  as  silent  and 
motionless  as  if  cast  in  bronze,  the  Peace  River 
chief.  He  was  a  medicine  man  of  great  repute 
among  his  own  people,  but  in  the  presence  of  the 
factor  and  his  more  potent  remedies,  he  at  once 
admitted  his  own  powerlessness,  and  unquestion- 
ingly  committed  his  stricken  son  to  the  white 
man's  ministrations.  He  took  no  notice  of  Archie. 
If  he  cherished  any  hard  revengeful  feelings,  no 
trace  of  them  appeared  upon  his  impassive  co'.n- 
tenance.  His  whole  attention  was  fi.xed  upon  the 
motionless  form  that  he  loved  better  than  anything 
else  in  the  world. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


EXPEDITION  TO  GREAT  SLAVE  LAKE. 


IT  was  almost  midnight  before  Beddakoonnai 
showed  any  signs  of  coming  to  himself.  Then 
at  last,  to  the  unspeakable  relief  of  the  anxious 
watchers,  he  stirred  a  little,  opened  his  eyes, 
moved  his  head  as  though  it  gave  him  pain,  and 
took  a  long  deep  breath.  But  immediately  he 
relapsed  into  such  perfect  stillness  that  Archie, 
who  was  bending  over  him  eagerly,  welcoming  the 
tokens  of  returning  consciousness,  cried  out  in 
agonized  alarm : 

"O,  father!  is  he  dead?  Oh!  don't  let  him  die." 
Mr.  McKenzie  was  half-persuaded  that  the  boy 
had  really  drawn  his  last  breath,  and  there  was  a 
pitiful  look  of  despair  upon  the  face  of  the  Peace 
River  c'lief.  But  the  keen  intuition  of  Mr.s. 
McKenzie  told  her  that  the  end  had  not  yet  come. 
Laying  one  soft  hand  upon  the  Indian's  forehead, 
and  the  other  upon  Archie's  shoulder,  she  mur- 
mured tenderly : 

'74 


EXPEDITION    TO   GREAT    SLAVE    LAKE. 


»75 


"  He  is  not  dead,  Archie  darling.     He  will  not 

d»» 
ic. 

And  she  was  right.  Beddakoonnai  was  not 
dead,  nor  did  he  die,  though  his  escape  from 
death  was  little  short  of  marvelous.  Later  on  in 
the  night  his  consciousness  came  fully  back,  and 
he  was  able  to  speak  a  few  words  to  his  father, 
which  caused  the  dark  troubled  countenance  to 
become  radiant  with  joy,  and  when  the  morning 
dawned  his  recovery  was  no  longer  a  matter  of 
doubt.  He  would  need  to  be  very  quiet  for  many 
days,  but  in  due  time  he  would  get  up  as  strong 
and  active  as  ever. 

During  the  next  few  weeks,  Beddakoonnai  lived 
in  Paradise.  Archie,  his  mother  and  Rose-Marie 
were  unwearied  in  their  attentions,  while  his  own 
father  and  the  factor  and  others  came  in  constantly 
to  see  him  ;  and  although  he  was  made  so  much 
of  that,  barring  a  certain  uncomfortable  sense  of 
confinement,  due  to  his  being  so  long  in  a  room 
when  his  previous  experience  had  been  entirely  of 
wigwams,  he  felt  as  happy  as  a  bee  in  clover,  and 
was  in  no  hurry  to  confess  convalescence. 

In  the  meantime,  the  summer  was  wearing  on, 
and  the  factor  became  impatient  to  put  into  execu- 
tion a  design  he  wished  to  carry  out  before  the 
advent  of  autumn.  This  was  to  take  a  number  of 
his  men,  and  go  up  north  as  far  as  the  Great  Slnve 
Lake  in  order  to  visit  the  different  posts  estab- 
lished upon  its   borders,  and    stimulate   them   to 


1/6 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


increased  activity  in  obtaining  furs,  the  returns 
from  that  district  having  fallen  off  somewhat  the 
past  two  seasons.  Being  convinced  that  Bedda- 
koonnai  was  quite  w  1  enough  to  go  back  to  his 
father's  lodge,  yet  fe  ing  reluctant  to  ask  him  to 
leave  his  house,  he  resorted  to  diplomacy.  The 
Indian  already  possessed  a  gun  and  hunting  knife, 
and,  by  the  way,  the  factor  had  a  shrewd  suspicion 
how  he  acquired  them,  although  he  sagely  kept  his 
own  counsel.  But  a  pistol  might  tempt  him.  He 
accordingly  offered  him  an  excellent  pistol  on  con- 
dition that  he  returned  to  his  own  encampment. 
The  Indian,  of  course,  eagerly  took  the  bait,  and 
thus,  between  winning  a  race  and  getting  a  broken 
head,  became  the  proud  possessor  of  a  h  .nting 
outfit  that  no  other  red  skin  in  the  country  could 
match. 

His  hands  being  thus  freed,  Mr.  McKenzie  lost 
no  time  in  making  ready  for  the  expedition,  and 
Archie,  feeling  something  like  Pilgrim  after  the 
burden  rolled  off  his  back,  enthusiastically  assisted. 
He  had  learned  lessons  that  would  last  him  through 
life.  He  had  suffered  defeat  from  both  the  physi- 
cal and  moral  standpoint,  but  like  a  brave  clear- 
headed fellow  he  determined  to  let  such  defeats 
point  the  way  to  future  victories.  He  no  longer 
thought  of  himself  as  "admirable  Crichton,"  but 
simply  as  a  boy  with  much  to  learn  still,  and  very 
willing  to  be  taught.  The  race  and  wrestling 
match  marked  a  distinct  epoch  in  his  experience. 


EXPEDITION  TO  GREAT  SLAVE  LAKE. 


^77 


The  prospect  of  the  trip  to  Great  Slave  Lake 
filled  him  with  pleasure.  The  farthest  he  had 
ever  been  in  that  direction  was  when  the  Quar- 
relers ran  off  with  him  at  the  instance  of  Miles 
McDougal,  and  he  longed  to  see  for  himself  the 
country  concerning  which  Mr.  Wentzel,  Akaitchko 
and  others  had  told  him  many  times.  Sawtloulai, 
of  course,  would  be  one  of  the  party  this  time,  and 
they  were  sure  to  have  some  grand  sport  together, 
especially  as  they  were  both  now  fully  admitted 
into  the  ranks  of  the  hunters. 

The  time  was  the  beginning  of  the  month  of 
Augnst,  and  allowing  himself  six  full  weeks  for 
his  journey,  the  factor  calculated  upon  being  back 
before  the  end  of  September,  so  that  he  would 
have  the  finest  weather  in  all  the  vear.  Messrs 
Stewart  and  McGillvray  would  share  the  responsi- 
bilities of  looking  after  the  fort  and  Mrs.  McKen- 
zie  and  Rose-Marie,  during  his  absence,  and  he 
would  leave  twenty  trustworthy  men  under  their 
command,  he  himself  taking  ten  besides  Akaitchko, 
Archie  and  Sawtloulai. 

It  was  a  magnificent  morning  when  the  expedi- 
tion started.  The  fourteen  members  of  it  were 
disposed  in  four  large  strong  canoes,  Mr.  McKen- 
zie,  Archie,  Sawtloulai  and  Akaitchko  taking  the 
lead  in  the  largest,  the  others  following  with  three 
or  four  men  in  them  according  to  their  size.  In 
addition  to  its  human  freight  each  canoe  carried 
a  good  load  of  provisions,  ammunition,  goods  for 


•  78 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHAnASCA. 


trading  and  buffalo  robes  for  sleeping  in,  done 
carefully  up  in  bundles  of  about  ninety  pounds 
weight  for  convenient  handling  at  the  frequent 
portages. 

Mrs.  McKenzie  and  Rose-Marie  were  at  the 
shore  for  a  last  kiss  and  good-by.  They  had 
grown  somewhat  accustomed  to  lengthy  absences 
in  the  factor's  past,  but  this  was  the  first  time 
Archie  was  to  leave  them  for  long,  and  they  knew 
they  would  sorely  miss  him. 

••  O,  father,  I  wish  you'd  take  me,  too,"  cried 
Rose-Marie,  looking  up  at  the  factor  with  a  most 
beseeching  little  face.  "Couldn't  you  take  me 
even  yet  ?     I  could  be  ready  in  a  few  minutes." 

Her  father  smiled  affectionately  upon  her. 

"  And  what  would  my  little  lassie  do  if  I  did  let 
her  come  ?  "  he  asked,  taking  her  soft  cheeks  be- 
tween his  long  hands. 

"  Oh  !  I  don't  know ;  I'd  be  as  good  as  I  could, 
and  try  not  to  be  any  trouble,"  replied  Rose,  half- 
hoping  he  might  yet  consent. 

"  And  what  would  the  mother  do  without  her 
daughter,  and  all  the  rest  of  us  away }  "  inquired 
Mr.  McKenzie  further. 

Rose-Marie  turned  to  look  at  her  mother  in 
whose  brown  eyes  the  tears  were  already  gath- 
ering. With  quick  sympathy  she  unde^'stood  her 
feelings,  and  darting  toward  her  clasped  her  about 
the  waist,  exclaiming : 

"  My  dear,  darling  mother,  I  won't  leave  you." 


KXPKDITION  TO  GREAT  SLAVK  LAKK 


179 


••  God  bless  you  for  your  kind  little  heart,  Rose," 
said  the  factor.  "  I'll  f]jivc  you  a  promise  that  will 
in.'ikc  you  happy.  If  all  goes  well  until  next  spring, 
I  am  going  to  take  you  and  mother  and  Archie 
with  mc  down  to  Fort  William  to  show  the  gentle- 
men there  what  a  fine  family  I  have.  Now  then, 
just  keep  thinking  of  that,  and  you'll  soon  be  com- 
forted for  not  going  with  us  this  time." 

Rose-Marie  did  not  take  in  the  import  of  this 
promise  as  fully  as  Archie  had  done  when  it  was 
made  to  him,  but  she  knew  from  her  father's  tone 
that  it  meant  something  very  delightful,  so  she 
wreathed  her  pretty  face  in  a  radiant  smile  as  she 
answered  : 

"  All  right,  father,  I'll  wait  until  mother  and  I 
can  go  together.     That  will  be  best  of  all." 

Then  the  final  farewells  were  said,  the  canoes 
shot  out  from  the  shore,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
rounded  the  point  that  hid  them  from  sight,  while 
those  who  had  come  down  to  see  them  off  went 
slowly  back  to  the  fort,  where  life  would  move 
very  quietly  until  the  little  fleet  returned. 

The  course  of  the  canoes  lay  due  north  from  the 
point,  and  paddling  briskly  on,  ere  the  sun  reached 
his  zenith  they  were  threading  their  way  through 
:he  maze  of  barren  projections,  called  the  Stony 
Islands,  which  masks  the  entrance  to  the  Slave 
River.  Old  Akaitchko  knew  every  turn  and  twist 
of  the  shortest  channels,  and  wasted  no  time  in 
following   blind   leads,    although    it   would    have 


I  So 


ARCHIK    OF    ATHABASCA. 


sorely  puzzled  the  ordinary  individual  to  make  out 
by  what  marks  he  was  guided,  the  different  islands 
seemed  to  have  such  a  bewildering  family  resem- 
blance. Sitting  right  behind  him,  and  keeping 
perfect  stroke  as  the  canoe  rippled  steadily  for- 
ward, Archie  closely  studied  their  course,  and 
wondered  if  by  any  possibility  he  could  retrace  it. 
A  similar  thought  passed  through  Mr.  McKenzie's 
mind,  for  he  called  out  : 

"  Archie,  do  you  think  you  could  pilot  us  through 
these  islands,  if  you  had  to  ?" 

**  I'm  afraid  not,  sir,"  answered  Archie.  "  I'll 
have  to  take  a  good  many  lessons  from  Akaitchko 
first." 

"  Well,  my  lad,  get  all  the  lessons  you  can. 
Make  Akaitchko  tell  you  every  secret  of  his  skill, 
for  such  knowledge  will  be  of  incalculable  value 
to  you  when  you  come  to  strike  out  for  yourself, 
as  you  must  do  before  long."  And  the  factor 
heaved  a  sigh,  as  though  the  prospect  of  his  son 
striking  out  for  himself  was  not  particularly 
attractive. 

**  No  fear  but  I'll  do  that,  father,"  responded 
Archie.  "  It  was  for  that  very  reason  I  took  my 
place  here." 

During  the  next  few  days  Archie  had  plenty  of 
opportunity  for  studying  the  fascinating  science 
of  canoe  management.  Their  course  down  the 
Slave  River  was  marked  by  every  imaginable  diffi- 
culty and  obstacle.     Rapids,  shallows,  whirlpools 


EXPEDITION    TO    GREAT   SLAVE    LAKE. 


l8l 


and  waterfalls  followed  one  another  in  close  suc- 
cession, and  Akaitchko's  skill  and  strength  were 
often  tried  to  the  utmost  to  prevent  disaster.  In 
this  he  was  successful  so  far  as  his  own  canoe  was 
concerned,  but  some  of  those  who  came  behind 
were  not  equally  fortunate. 

After  its  confluence  with  the  Peace,  the  Slave 
River  became  a  magnificent  stream  nearly  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  down  which  the  canoes 
sped  with  delightful  rapidity,  the  current  being 
exceedingly  swift,  until  they  reached  a  group  of 
islands  separated  by  narrow  channels,  in  passing 
through  which  the  utmost  care  had  to  be  exercised. 
Beyond  these  islands  was  a  whirlpool  which  seized 
the  frail  barks,  and  tossed  them  to  and  fro  like 
chips,  causing  Archie's  heart  to  leap  to  his  mouth 
more  than  once,  when  it  seemed  as  if  they  must 
be  upset  by  the  violence  of  the  whirls.  But  in  the 
end  the  persistent  paddles,  aided  by  the  mighty 
current,  worked  out  their  own  deliverance,  the 
whirlpool  was  passed  unscathed,  and  they  pitched 
their  tents  just  beyond  its  seething  waters,  for  the 
factor  considered  that  his  men  deserved  a  good 
rest  after  their  prolonged  struggle. 

But  unhappily  it  was  not  in  the  order  of  things 
that  they  should  have  much  of  a  rest  that  night, 
for  hardly  had  they  got  the  tents  up,  before  a 
terrible  thunder-storm  fell  upon  them  ;  the  rain 
poured  down  in  torrents,  and  the  violence  of  the 
wind  made  the  river  overflow  its  banks,  completely 


lS2 


AKCIIIK    OF    ATHAMASCA. 


flooding;  the  site  of  the  encampment.  Nor  was 
this  all  ;  for  when  the  storm  subsided  the  mos- 
quitoes came  in  swarms  that  actually  darkened 
the  air,  and  their  tormenting  stings  grew  so  un- 
endurable that  at  last  the  whole  party  were  com- 
pelled, after  snatching  a  hasty  supper,  to  return  to 
their  canoes,  to  seek  refuge  in  flight  down  stream. 

Drifting  and  paddling  all  night,  they  passed  the 
Reindeer  Islands  soon  after  sunrise,  and  a  few 
hours  later  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Dog  River, 
where  a  halt  was  made  in  ortler  to  set  the  nets 
and  try  to  catch  some  fish.  The  boys  felt  too 
weary  to  care  about  anything  but  sleep,  and  select- 
ing a  shady  sheltered  spot  under  the  trees,  they 
lay  down  for  a  good  nap  which  they  had  without 
interruption. 

Early  in  the  afternoon,  Mr.  McKenzie  wakened 
them  with  the  pleasant  announcement  tliat  dinner 
was  ready,  and  they  were  then  in  excellent  humor 
to  do  full  justice  to  the  d»:licious  trout  broiled  to 
a  turn  by  Akaitchko,  the  man  of  many  accom- 
plishments. Dinner  disposed  of,  they  re-embarked, 
and  essayed  the  intricacies  of  the  Dog  Rapid. 
Their  canoe  got  through  safely,  ami  so  did  the 
next  ;  but  tiie  last  two,  being  allowed  to  approach 
too  close,  came  into  violent  collision,  with  the  re- 
sult that  the  sternmost  had  its  bow  broken  short 
off.  Fortunately  the  accident  happened  near  the 
shore,  and  the  disabled  canoe  was  beached  before 
it    had   time   to  sink.     But    the    injury   took  two 


KXI'ICIIIIION    TO   OREAT   SI.AVK    I.AKK 


•83 


hours  to  repair,  and  no  further  propjrcss  could  be 
made  that  evening;. 

lki;;ht  and  early  next  morninj;  they  set  off 
ai^ain,  and  j)ad(lled  steadily  until  they  reached  the 
Cassette  Portage,  where  they  had  to  carry  the 
canoes  and  their  contents  mo»"e  than  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  and  very  hard  work  they  found  it.  The  boys, 
of  course,  could  not  be  expected  to  shoulder  one 
end  of  the  canoe  or  a  ninety  pound  pack,  so  their 
part  was  to  carry  the  guns  and  ammunition  which 
gave  them  each  a  pretty  fair  load.  They  were  as 
happy  as  a  pair  of  larks  at  midday.  This  active, 
varied,  adventurous  mode  of  life  was  precisely  ac- 
cording to  their  liking,  and  they  enjoyed  every 
moment  of  it. 

After  the  Cassette  Portage  came  a  narrow  chan- 
nnel  full  of  troublesome  rapids,  through  which  the 
canoes  danced  in  a  way  that  would  have  been 
poor  fun  for  a  "  tender  foot,"  but  which  only 
tickled  the  boys'  midriff  pleasantly,  causing  them 
to  shout  in  audacious  glee  as  their  bark  darted 
hither  and  thither  through  the  curling,  foaming 
waves  under  the  unerring  guidance  of  Akaitchko. 
To  these  rapids  succeeded  the  Portage  d'Embar- 
ras,  a  very  short  one,  and  then,  a  little  farther  on, 
the  Little  Rock  Portage  in  the  course  of  which 
a  curious  accident  happened  to  the  second  canoe. 
While  it  was  being  carried  over  the  rough  rocky 
path,  the  bowman  slipped  upon  a  loose  stone,  and 
let  his  burden  fall  to  the  ground,  with  the  result 


184 


ARcinr.  or  ATHAnAsrA. 


that  if  broke  in  two  as  promptlv  and  perfectly  as 
if  it  wore  .1  stick  of  candy. 

"  Hless  my  son!  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  McKenzir, 
when  he  saw  this  catastrophe.  "What  on  earth 
are  you  men  ahont  .? " 

The  one  who  had  stumbled,  '  icked  himself  tif), 
and  eyed  the  broken  canoe  niefnily. 

*•  llim  bail  break,  sartain.  l^nt,"  with  a  sudden 
brii;htcnini;  of  his  countenance,  "not  take  lonjj; 
mend  him." 

"  Aha  !  you  red-skin  rascal,"  cried  the  factor 
in  ]Metendcd  ani;er.  "  It's  all  well  enou,<;h  to  talk 
that  wav,  but  vou  must  take  better  care  of  my 
canoes.  The  next  man  that  breaks  one,  I'll  break 
his  head,  see  if  I  don't." 

The  progress  of  repair  took  only  a  couple  of 
hours.  The  sutulcred  halves  were  skillfully  sewn 
together,  the  join  quickly  coverctl  with  rosin,  of 
which  a  supplv  was  carried  for  the  ]Mnpos(\  and 
then,  the  can(H"  beini;"  made  quite  as  g(K)d  as  before, 
the  journey  was  resimied. 

The  Mountain  Portage  was  the  next,  and  here 
thev  hatl  to  toil  up  the  fteep  sides  of  a  high  hill, 
which  thev  fnind  very  hard  work  ;  and  by  the  time 
they  got  safelv  down  the  other  side,  they  were  all 
so  wearv  that  the  factor  directed  the  tents  to  be 
pitchoil  f(^r  the  night,  though  it  was  still  some 
hours  to  sundown.  So  splendid  w\as  the  view  from 
the  summit  of  the  mountain  that  the  boys  went 
back  there  after  supper,  and  watched  the  sun  sink- 


r.xrr.DiTioN  to  gkkat  si.avr  r.AKF. 


i«5 


in<;  out  of  si^ht,  behind  the  western  hills.  At  their 
Ket  the  river  broadened  out  to  almost  a  mile  in 
width,  and  they  could  follow  its  course  for  a  long 
distance  northward. 

"  See,  Sawtloulai  ;  that's  the  way  we'll  go  to-mor- 
row. I  wonder  how  many  iiiore  of  these  tiresome 
po-tages  we've  still  ahead  of  us  ?  "  said  Archie. 

Only  two  more,  father  says,"  answered  Sawt- 
loulai. 

"Hurrah!  that's  good  news,"  said  Archie. 
"  I*'or  I'm  jiist  about  sick  of  portages." 

"  So  am  I,"  assented  the  Indian  ;  "  it's  too  hard 
work  for  me.  I'd  rather  run  the  rapids  in  the 
canoe  than  tote  everything  overland." 

"  Right  yon  are,"  said  Archie  ;  "  I  don't  sec  why 
we  couldn't  try  some  of  them." 

'•  Try  some  of  what  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  McKenzic, 
at  that  moment  joining  them. 

"  Why,  try  running  some  of  those  rapids  instead 
of  portaging  them,"  explained  Archie. 

Mr.  McKenzic  did  not  answer  at  once,  but 
pointing  with  his  outstretched  arm  to  where  the 
river  seemed  to  lose  itself  amid  a  maze  of  pine-clad 
islands  some  miles  awaV;  he  said  : 

"That  is  our  last  portage,  Archie.  There  is 
only  the  Pelican  Portage  between.  Do  you  know 
the  name  of  it  ?  " 

"  No,  father,"  replied  Archie,  "  I  don't  ;  but 
Pm  very  glad  to  know  it  is  the  last,  for  I've  had 
all  the  portaging  I  want  for  some  time." 


1 86 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


••  Well,  Archie,  that's  the  Portage  of  dw 
Drowned." 

•'  The  Portage  of  the  Drowned  !  "  echoed  Archie, 
in  a  somewhat  startled  tone,  '*  What  a  dreadful 
name  !     Mow  did  it  come  to  be  called  that  ?  " 

The  recollection  was  evidently  a  painful  one  to 
the  factor,  and  he  was  silent  for  some  minutes 
before  replying.     At  last  he  said  : 

••  Sit  down  here,  laddie,  and  I'll  tell  you  the 
story.  It's  just  twenty  years  now  since  it  hap- 
pened. I  was  only  a  clerk  then,  like  Mr.  Stewart, 
and  we  were  making  a  trip  to  the  Slave  Lake,  just 
as  we  are  doing  now.  There  were  three  canoes, 
and  I  was  in  the  head  one.  Keskaiiah,  the  best 
guide  in  the  country,  was  our  pilot,  and  when  we 
came  to  the  rapids  he  thought  that  the  height  of 
the  river  would  make  it  safe  to  run  them,  instead 
of  going  overland.  So  he  arranged  for  our  canoe 
to  go  on  ahead  alone,  and  if  w^^  got  through  safely 
we  would  fire  a  gun  as  a  signal  for  the  others  to 
follow.  Off  we  started,  and  a  right  terrible  time 
we  had  of  it.  The  rapids  were  awful.  They 
tossed  us  about  as  if  our  heavy  canoe  were  but  a 
feather.  Not  one  of  us  expected  to  get  through 
alive.  Even  Keskarrah  looked  frightened ;  but  he 
was  a  wonderful  hand  at  steering,  and  we  all 
worked  for  dear  life,  and  in  the  end  his  skill  and 
our  own  strength  brought  us  safely  to  the  bottom, 
and  we  put  in  to  the  bank  all  of  one  mind  that  no 
other  canoe  should  run  the  same  risk.     Just  as  we 


EXPEDITION  TO  GREAT  SLAVE  LAKE. 


i8; 


landed,  a  duck  rose  up  a  few  yards  away,  and  one 
of  our  men,  without  stopping  to  think,  picked  up 
his  gun  and  fired.  The  moment  he  did,  he  re- 
membered about  the  signal,  and  alarmed  at  the 
possible  consequences  of  his  thoughtless  act, 
rushed  off  along  shore  at  full  speed  to  prevent  the 
other  canoes  from  starting.  But  he  was  too  late 
to  stop  one  of  them.  It  was  already  well  into  the 
rapids,  and  it  had  no  Keskarrah  to  pilot  it  through. 
Standing  upon  the  bank,  and  utterly  powerless  to 
help,  he  had  the  agony  of  seeing  the  canoe  dashed 
upon  a  rock,  and  all  four  men  drowned  in  the 
dreadful  rapids ;  and  ever  since  then  the  place  has 
been  called  the  Portage  of  the  Drowned." 


CHMTKR    XIV. 


AT    (;Kr  AT    SI.AVK    lAKII. 


A 


l\C1^1^  j;.'ivc  .1  slnuldor  as  IVTr.  Mv^Kcnric 
tiiiisho(i  his  explanation  of  how  the  I'orta^r 
of  iho  nrownotl  canio  hy  its  nanuv 

'*  After  hcaiini;  that,  father,  I'm  no  hin,i;er  anx- 
ious to  try  lunnini;  the  rapids.  If  we  divl,  peihaps 
there  niii;ht  be  nu>re  than  t>ne  rortai;e  of  the 
Prownevl,"  said  he. 

••There  might  imleed,  Arehie  boy,"  saitl  Mr. 
MeKenrie  ;  *•  and  the  givins;  a  new  name  to  a  rapid 
wonlii  be  poor  eonsolatioi\  for  losing;  one's  hfe, 
wouldn't  it  ?  Hut  eome  ahmi; ;  we  must  be  gettio«; 
baek  to  camp;**  anil  they  all  descended  the  hill  to 
where  the  tents  were  pitched. 

The  next  day's  canoeinj;'  was  of  a  very  unevent- 
ful character.  The  rocks  and  hii;h  lauvl  ceased  at 
the  last  portage,  anil  the  river  banks  became  low, 
and  composed  of  soft  rich  soil  held  together  by  the 
tangled  roots  of  the  trees  and  shrubs  that  crowned 

their  summits.     The  stream  spread  out  until  it  was 

i8S 


AT    (iHKAT    RLAVK    I^AKK. 


lH() 


■A  full  inilc  ifi  lirradth,  and  the  niHliin^  (iirrcnt 
«|uiotc(l  <l(»wn  to  a  Hlii^;t',isli  drift.  Whrn  the  patty 
leaihctl  the  inoiilh  of  the  Salt  River,  they  turned 
aside,  and  asee'ided  that  stream  for  twenty  milen, 
until  they  ariived  at  the  salt  springs  which  chari^c 
its  Rweet  waters  inl(»  brine.  Mr.  McKenzic  wislied 
to  gather  some  of  the  salt  that  the  heat  of  sum- 
mer had  made  ready  by  evaporation,  and  ordered  a 
day's  halt  for  the  purpose. 

This  arrangement  pleased  the  boys  f^reatly. 
They  did  not  object  to  being  "  up  Salt  Creek  " 
upon  these  conditions,  for,  the  factor  not  needing 
them  to  help  in  gathering  and  packing  the  salt, 
they  were  free  to  gooff  for  a  day's  hunting,  which, 
whether  they  had  any  luck  or  not,  would  be  a 
great  treat  after  the  restraint  and  toil  of  many 
a  day's  canoeing.  As  soon  as  breakfast  was  dis- 
patched they  started  out  together,  Mr.  McKenzie 
calling  after  thein  in  a  bantering  tone  : 

"  He  sure  and  bring  us  back  a  buffalo,  at  least, 
boys." 

Archie  stopped,  and  turned  round. 

"What  will  you  give  me  if  I  do?"  he  asked, 
with  a  joyous  smile. 

"  What  will  I  give  you  ? "  laughed  the  factor. 
"Why,  let  me  sec.  I'll  give  you  five  pounds  of 
good  money  as  soon  as  we  get  back  to  the  fort." 
He  felt  very  safe  in  promising  this,  because  bison 
were  rarely  known  to  venture  so  far  north  as  that 
locality. 


IQO 


ARCHIE  OF   ATHABASCA. 


Archie's  eyes  sparkled.  Five  pounds  in  good 
money,  and  a  trip  to  Fort  William  promised  for 
next  summer,  when  he  would  have  a  fine  chance 
to  spend  it  royally.  He  caught  Sawtloulai  by 
the  arm. 

"  Sawtloulai,  do  you  hear  that  ?  Five  pounds  ! 
just  think  of  it !  Oh  !  if  we  can  only  find  a  buffalo," 
he  cried,  fairly  dancing  with  excitement. 

But  the  Indian  shook  his  head  doubtfully. 
'*  Akaitchko  says  no  buffalo  about  here.  Told 
your  father  so  last  night," 

Archie's  heart  sank.  That,  no  doubt,  was  why 
Mr.  McKenzie  had  made  so  lavish  a  promise.  He 
knew  he  would  never  be  called  upon  to  redeem  it. 
However,  he  would  not  let  on  he  had  no  hopes,  so 
calling  back  gayly  : 

"  All  right,  father,  I'll  get  a  buffalo  for  you,  if 
there's  one  to  be  had  ;  "  he  wheeled  about,  and  was 
soon  lost  to  sight  in  the  shrubbery  that  fringed 
the  river  bank. 

**  Your  father's  a  splendid  hunter,  Sawtloulai, 
and  knows  a  great  deal,"  said  he,  eager  to  persuade 
himself  that  the  five  pounds  were  not  utterly  unat- 
tainable, "but  he  might  make  a,mistake,  you  know, 
and  these  plains  certainly  look  as  if  there  might 
be  a  buffalo  about." 

Sawtloulai  was  not  quite  ready  to  admit  that  his 
father  could  make  a  mistake,  yet  at  the  same  time 
he  was  in  entire  sympathy  with  his  companion's 
eagerness  to  secure  the  tempting   prize ;  so  his 


AT   GREAT    SLAVE    LAKE. 


191 


only  reply  was  a  very  diplomatic  "Ugh!"  which 
Archie  understood  to  mean  assent  to  his  sugges- 
tion, and  was  content. 

They  tramped  on  for  a  couple  of  miles  in  a 
direction  parallel  to  the  course  of  the  stream,  it 
being  their  idea  that  whatever  game,  large  or 
small,  there  might  be,  was  more  likely  to  be  found 
near  the  water  than  anywhere  else  ;  and,  moreover, 
there  was  no  fear  of  theii  being  lost  so  long  as 
they  kept  the  river  in  sight.  Away  westward, 
until  bounded  by  a  dim  line  of  blue-tinted  hills, 
stretched  the  plains  waving  with  dense  grass, 
turned  brown  by  the  summer  heat.  The  sun  rose 
high  in  the  cloudless  sky.  T^  0  air  was  warm 
without  being  oppressive.  A  delicious  breeze  blew 
across  from  the  hills,  and  the  two  boys,  exulting 
in  the  possession  of  perfect  health  and  more  than 
ordinary  vigor,  and  thoroughly  equipped  with  guns, 
pistols,  tomahawks  and  hunting  knives,  made  up 
an  effective  picture  as  they  pushed  rapidly  forward, 
keeping  a  keon  lookout  for  something  worth  a 
charge  of  powder. 

There  were  ducks  paddling  about  in  every  little 
pond,  and  snipe  and  plover  in  plenty,  but  they 
resolutely  passed  them  by.  To  fire  might  be  to 
disturb  some  noble  game  within  sound  of  the  gun, 
and,  any  way,  they  could  get  all  they  wanted  on 
the  way  back,  and  it  was  no  u  ^  burdening  them- 
selves then.  By  and  by  they  got  thirsty,  and 
turned  to  the  river  for  a  drink.     Archie  was  a 


:^i 


192 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


little  ahead  of  the  Indian,  and  as  he  made  his  way 
through  the  bushes,  he  caught  sight  of  something 
which  caused  him  to  throw  himself  flat  upon  his 
stomach,  and  hold  up  his  hand,  with  a  gesture 
for  Sawtloulai  to  do  the  same.  The  boy  dropped 
at  once,  and  then  wriggled  forward  silently,  until 
he  was  beside  the  other. 

Archie  was  quivering  with  intense  excitement. 
His  face  was  as  pale  as  it  could  become,  and  not 
trusting  himself  to  speak,  he  pointed  with  trem- 
bling fingers  to  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river. 

The  moment  Sawtloulai  looked,  he  too  shared 
his  companion's  emotion,  for  just  entering  the 
water,  with  the  evident  intention  of  crossing,  was 
a  noble  bison  utterly  unconscious  of  the  presence 
of  any  danger.  Unless  alarmed,  he  would  un- 
doubtedly land  right  at  their  feet.  He  was  all 
alone,  a  young  bull  driven  from  the  herd  to  seek 
his  own  fortune,  and  bearing  the  marks  of  recent 
conflict.  Without  opening  their  lips  the  boys 
looked  into  each  other's  eyes.  Despite  the  opin- 
ion of  shrewed  old  Akaitchko  then,  there  were 
bison  still  to  be  found  on  the  Salt  River  Plains, 
and  the  five  pounds  might  yet  be  won. 

Breathlessly  they  awaited  the  bison's  approach. 
In  a  leisurely  fashion  he  stepped  into  the  water, 
too  shallow  to  take  him  off  his  feet,  and  ploughed 
through  it  until  he  reached  the  other  side.  TL-^n 
he  drew  himself  out,  and  stood  for  a  moment 
sniffing  the  breeze  somewhat  suspiciously. 


e  his  way 
jomething 
upon  his 
a  gesture 
y  dropped 
ntly,  until 

ccitement. 
J,  and  not 
/ith  trem- 
river. 

00  shared 
ering  the 
ssing,  was 
5  presence 
kvould  un- 
[e  was  all 
d  to  seek 

of  recent 
the  boys 
the  opin- 
lere  were 
er  Plains, 

approach. 

the  water, 

ploughed 

le.     TL.^n 

1  moment 


I 


^i 


//     I    '•'    1 


/'I 


I     ^4 ' 


/  '.'i 


•'\i 


ARCTTIF,   TAKKS    ADVANTAGE   OF   HIS   OPPORTUNITY. 


AT   GREAT    SLAVE    LAKE. 


'93 


**N()w,"  whispered  Archie.  The  two  guns  made 
a  single  report,  and  the  two  bullets  went  straight 
to  their  mark  in  the  broad  breast  of  the  bull,  thus 
suddenly  awakened  to  his  peril.  With  a  tremen- 
dous bellow  the  groat  creature  lowered  his  head 
and  charged  furiously  up  the  bank.  The  slope 
was  slight,  and  in  an  instant  he  was  at  the  top 
and  looking  round  for  his  assailants.  The  boys 
had  separated,  one  to  the  right  and  the  other 
to  the  left,  and  were  reloading  their  guns  with 
feverish  haste. 

The  bison  caught  sight  of  Sawtloulai  first,  and 
with  another  bellow  bore  swiftly  down  upon  him. 
The  clever  Indian  waited  until  he  almost  touched 
him,  and  then,  stepping  coolly  to  one  side,  resumed 
ramming  down  the  powder.  By  the  time  the  bison 
had  checked  his  mad  onset,  and  returned  to  the 
charge,  Sawtloulai's  gun  was  ready,  and  this  time 
as  he  dodged  he  discharged  it  into  his  side  a  little 
below  the  shoulder.  Mortally  wounded,  yet  still 
able  to  do  mischief,  the  infuriated  animal,  at  this 
moment  seeing  Archie,  who,  having  reloaded,  had 
hastened  to  his  companion's  aid,  made  a  fierce 
dash  at  him,  and  the  boy  narrowly  escaped  his 
deadly  horns.  But  a  quick  spring  aside  saved 
him,  and  the  bison  crashed  into  a  clump  of  trees 
instead.  In  so  doing  he  tripped  and  fell.  Archie 
saw  his  opportunity,  and  seized  it.  Before  the 
crcnaire  could  regain  his  feet  another  bullet  had 
found  its  way  to  his  vitals.     He  strove  gallantly 


194 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


to  rise,  but  the  weakness  of  death  was  upon  him. 
He  got  as  far  as  his  knees,  and  remained  there  a 
few  seconds,  swaying  from  side  to  side,  the  blood 
pouring  from  his  wounds,  and  crimson  foam  drip- 
ping from  his  mouth.  Then,  with  a  pitiful  sound, 
half-groan,  half-roar,  he  fell  over,  a  shudder  ran 
through  his  mighty  frame,  and  he  was  dead. 

'*  Hurrah  !  hurrah  !  hurrah  !  "  shouted  Archie, 
as,  grasping  Sawtloulai's  hand,  he  danced  three 
times  round  the  huge  carcass. 

•'  What  will  father  and  Akaitchko  say  now  > 
We've  killed  our  buffalo  in  spite  of  them,  and  the 
five  pounds  are  ours  —  ours,  Sawtloulai — ours, 
my  hearty,  and  won't  we  have  a  fine  time  making 
them  fly .?     Just  wait  till  we  get  to  Fort  William." 

"  Is  Sawtloulai  to  have  some  of  the  money } " 
asked  the  Indian  shyly. 

**  Why,  of  course  you  are,"  cried  Archie  ;  **  the 
buffalo  is  as  much  yours  as  mine.  But  come,  let 
us  run  back  to  the  camp  and  tell  them  the  good 
news." 

Leaving  their  guns  beside  the  carcass,  the  boys 
set  off  at  their  best  pace  for  the  camp,  and  did 
not  take  long  to  reach  it.  The  men  were  getting 
dinner  ready  when  they  arrived,  and  Archie  burst 
in  upon  them  panting  out : 

**  We've  killed  a  buffalo,  a  great  big  one." 

"  None  of  your  tricks,  you  rogue,"  said  the 
factor,  taking  his  son  playfully  by  the  ear.  "  Are 
you  in  earnest  ?  " 


AT  GREAT  SLAVE  LAKE. 


195 


"  Of  course  I  am,"  exclaimed  Archie.  "  Ask 
Sawtloulai." 

Sawtloulai  was  too  much  out  of  breath  to  say 
anything,  but  nodded  his  head  vigorously,  while 
a  triumphant  smile  spread  over  his  face.  The 
questions  then  poured  in  thick  and  fast,  and  when 
the  whole  story  was  told  the  men  could  hardly 
wait  to  eat  their  dinner,  so  impatient  were  they  to 
see  the  bison  for  themselves. 

Immediately  after  dinner  the  whole  party  took 
to  their  canoes,  and  paddled  up  the  stream  to 
where  Archie  pointed  out  the  marks  made  by  the 
bison  in  crossing,  and  led  them  straight  to  the 
scene  of  its  death. 

"Well  done,  my  lads!"  exclaimed  the  factor, 
when  he  saw  the  great  creature.  *'  A  buffalo  it  is, 
and  a  fine  one,  too.  I'm  afraid  there's  no  way  of  my 
getting  out  of  paying  you  the  five  pounds,  Archie." 

**  The  money's  Sawtloulai's  as  well  as  mine, 
father,"  spoke  up  Archie.  "  I  couldn't  have  killed 
the  buffalo  alone,  you  know." 

**  As  you  say,  laddie,"  returned  his  father.  "  It 
will  be  given  you  in  good  time,  and  you  can  share 
it  with  Sawtloulai  in  any  way  you  like." 

There  was  great  rejoicing  over  the  bison.  He 
proved  to  be  in  excellent  condition,  and  the  men 
soon  had  him  cut  up  into  convenient  pieces,  and 
stowed  away  in  the  canoes.  Then,  resuming  their 
places,  they  made  the  air  ring  with  their  joUiest 
songs  as  they  swept  down  the  river. 


196 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


In  the  course  of  the  following  afternoon  they 
passed  the  junction  of  the  Slave  River  with  the 
water  of  the  Great  Slave  Lake,  and  pushing  right 
out  into  the  lake  succeeded  in  reaching  Moose- 
Deer  Inland  before  the  night  set  in.  On  the 
island  stood  a  small  post  of  the  Northwest  Fur 
Company,  and  here  they  made  a  stay  of  a  few 
days,  to  rest  and  refit.  The  boys'  first  business 
was,  of  course,  to  explore  the  island.  They  found 
it  to  be  almost  three  miles  round,  with  a  hill  in 
the  center  rising  several  hundred  feet  in  height, 
from  the  summit  of  which  they  had  an  outlook 
far  and  wide  over  the  magnificent  sheet  of  water 
below  them. 

"  Isn't  it  grand  }  **  exclaimed  Archie,  seating 
himself  upon  a  flat  rock,  and  gazing  round  with 
appreciative  eyes. 

Sawtloulai,  who  had  no  care  for  the  picturesque, 
and  regarded  a  landscape  entirely  from  the  point 
of  view  of  the  hunter  and  trapper  had  no  other 
remark  to  make  in  reply  than  one  of  his  guttural 
"Ughs  !"  which  Archie  always  translated  in  the 
way  that  suited  him  best. 

"  But  oh  !  how  lonely  this  place  must  be  in  win- 
ter," continued  Archie.  **  It  is  tiresome  enough 
at  Fort  Chipewyan,  but  it  must  be  ever  so  much 
worse  here,"  and  he  gave  a  shiver  as  he  pictured 
to  himself  the  utter  desolation  of  the  scene.  Then 
his  thoughts  turned  from  the  view  to  a  matter  that 
had  been  much  in  his  mind  of  late.    "Sawtloulai," 


AT  GREAT  SLAVE  LAKE. 


197 


he  cried,  with  a  suddenness  that  made  the  Indian 
start,  "  I'm  getting  tired  of  the  fort.  I  want  to 
see  other  places.  Not  like  these,"  and  he  pointed 
contemptuously  at  the  shabby  little  establishment 
below  them,  which  hardly  deserved  the  name  of 
fort,  "  but  places  where  there  are  crowds  of  peo- 
ple, and  fine  big  houses,  and  splendid  shops,  like 
Montreal.  Father  has  often  told  me  about  them, 
and  I'm  longing  to  go  and  see  them.  Wouldn't 
you  like  to  see  them,  too  ?  ** 

Sawtloulai  shook  his  head  dubiously.  He  wis 
a  child  of  the  prairie.  The  wonders  of  big  cities 
had  not  much  meaning  for  him.  His  ambition 
carried  him  no  higher  than  the  obtaining  of  a 
situation  as  hunter  or  canoeman  at  the  fort,  just 
like  his  father,  but  which  would  insure  him  food 
and  shelter  the  whole  year  round. 

Archie  hardly  expected  him  to  enter  into  his 
feelings,  so  he  did  not  mind  his  silence,  but 
went  on  : 

"  I'm  so  glad  father  has  promised  to  take  us 
to  Fort  William  next  summer.  He's  sure  to  keep 
his  word,  and  if  he  gets  that  far,  perhaps  he'll  take 
us  right  on  to  Montreal.  Indeed,  he  must  do  it. 
Mother  and  Rose  want  to  go  as  much  as  I  do,  and 
we'll  join  together  and  make  him." 

Enjoying  in  sanguine  expectation  the  vaguely 
conceived  delights  of  such  an  experience,  Archie 
gave  a  ringing  whoop,  and  rushed  down  the  hill- 
side at  a  reckless  rate,  Sawtloulai  following  him 


198 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


much  more  cautiously,  and  having  the  opportunity 
of  a  sly  laugh  at  his  companion's  expense,  when, 
tripping  over  a  hidden  root,  he  took  a  brilliant 
header  into  the  blueberry  bush,  and  was  glad  to 
have  help  in  getting  out  again. 

A  good  deal  shaken  up,  and  somewhat  put  out 
by  his  tumble,  Archie  struck  a  more  sober  gait 
for  the  rest  of  the  way  to  the  fort,  where  the  two 
arrived  just  in  time  for  the  dinner. 

There  was  nothing  to  be  shot  or  trapped  on  the 
island,  and  Archie  was  very  glad  when  the  party 
once  more  launched  the  canoes,  and  set  out  for 
Fort  Providence,  another  of  the  fur  company's 
posts,  situated  on  the  mainland  two  days'  journey 
northwest  from  Moose-Deer  Island.  They  had  a 
pretty  rough  passage  thither,  and  were  more  than 
once  compelled  to  run  for  shelter  into  the  narrow 
channels  between  the  innumerable  islands  that 
dotted  the  lake,  so  that  they  did  not  reach  their 
destination  until  the  morning  of  the  third  day. 

At  Fort  Providence,  then  the  farthest  north  of 
all  the  fur  company's  establishments,  and  a  place 
of  not  much  more  importance  than  Moose-Deer 
Island,  a  stay  of  several  days  was  made,  as  Mr. 
McKenzie  wished  to  have  a  pow-wow  with  the 
Copper  Indians,  in  whose  country  they  were,  and 
messages  had  been  sent  out  to  summon  them  to 
the  fort  immediately  upon  the  arrival  of  the  ex- 
pedition. On  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  the 
Indians   appeared,  and    the  following  morning  a 


AT  GREAT  SLAVE  LAKE. 


199 


conference  was  held  before  the  gate  of   the  fort 
with  all  due  solemnity. 

In  order  to  make  an  imposing  appearance,  Mr. 
McKenzie  and  his  men  were  arrayed  in  their  very 
best  clothes,  and  armed  to  the  teeth  with  guns, 
pistols,  tomahawks  and  hunting  knives,  which  they 
ostentatiously  laid  aside  as  soon  as  they  took  their 
seats.  The  Indians  likewise  had  on  their  bravest 
attire,  and  bore  their  best  weapons,  following  the 
example  of  the  pale  faces  in  putting  the  latter 
away  before  taking  their  places. 

Archie  was  much  disappointed  in  these  new 
acquaintances.  They  were  shorter,  slighter,  uglier 
and  dirtier  than  any  Indians  he  had  ever  seen  be- 
fore. There  was  nothing  interesting  or  impressive 
about  them,  xud  when,  by  way  of  opening  the  pro- 
ceedings, they  rose  at  the  command  of  their  chief, 
and  executed  their  tribal  dance,  it  was  with  great 
difficulty  that  he  could  restrain  himself  from  being 
guilty  of  the  bad  manners  of  laughing  in  their 
faces. 

The  dance  was  after  this  fashion  :  the  men  and 
women  formed  a  ring  together,  the  former  holding 
a  bone  dagger  between  the  fingers  of  the  right 
hand,  which  they  kept  extended  above  the  head, 
and  ih  continual  motion,  while  their  left  hand  was 
worked  backward  and  forward  in  a  horizontal 
direction.  The  women  let  both  arms  hang  mo- 
tionless at  their  side.  Then  all  set  to  work  to 
jump  about  and  throw  themselves  in  various  absurd 


200 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


postures,  meantime  keeping  up  a  hideous  wailing 
that  passed  for  singing,  and  bringing  their  heels 
together  at  every  pause  in  the  music  as  if  they 
were  having  a  high  old  time. 

"  Is  that  what  they  call  dancing  ? "  exclaimed 
Archie,  with  a  curl  on  his  lips.  "  I  wonder  what 
they'd  think  of  a  Highland  fling  ?  What  do  you 
say,  father  ;  may  we  show  them  one  }  " 

"  Certainly,  Archie,  if  you  want  to,"  said  the 
factor,  smiling.  "  They'll  think  all  the  more  of  us 
if  we  show  them  something  new  in  the  way  of  a 
dance.     Who'll  dance  it  with  you  }  " 

"  Oh  !  Sawtloulai  will ;  he  can  dance  it  as  well 
as  I  can,"  replied  Archie.  "We  had  plenty  of 
practice  last  winter." 

"  Go  ahead,  then,  laddie  ;  I'll  whistle  for  you," 
returned  the  factor,  and  amid  the  wondering  ex- 
pectation of  the  Indians,  the  two  boys  took  their 
places  in  the  middle  of  the  circle.  The  factor  at 
once  struck  up  a  lively  tune,  whistling  it  with  the 
strength  and  purity  of  a  flute,  and  the  young 
dancers  started  off  to  open  the  eyes  of  the 
aborigines. 

Both  the  whistling  and  the  da^'.cing  were  entire 
novelties  to  the  red  men,  and  it  was  hard  to  say 
which  they  admired  most,  the  wonderful  music 
which  came  so  freely  from  the  puckered  lips  of 
the  big  pale  face,  or  the  intricate  evolutions  of  the 
graceful  boys,  one  of  whom  was  evidently  of  their 
own  kind.     Their  dull  dirty  countenances  lit  up 


AT   GREAT  SLAVE    LAKE. 


20 1 


with  smiles;  they  unconsciously  kept  time  with 
head  and  hand  to  the  rhythmic  movements  of  the 
dancers,  and  altogether  showed  such  unmistakable 
pleasure  in  the  performance  that  Archie  was  fain 
to  modify  his  first  impressions  and  admit  that  they 
were  good  for  something,  after  all,  if  it  was  only 
to  appreciate  his  dancing. 

The  dance  was  followed  by  a  smoke  all  round 
at  the  expense  of  the  factor,  and  then  by  the 
speeches,  which  were  in  brief  on  the  pale  face's 
part,  that  they  wanted  more  furs,  and  on  the  red 
man's  part  that  they  wanted  more  goods,  with  the 
result  that  each  promised  to  do  the  best  they  could 
for  the  other,  Mr.  McKenzie  exacting  the  most 
solemn  possible  undertaking  from  the  chief  and 
his  people  to  have  no  dealings  with  the  Hudson's 
Bay  people,  but  to  bring  all  their  peltries  to  the 
Northwest  Company's  posts. 

Satisfied  that  his  visit  would  have  good  effect, 
the  factor  distributed  a  lot  of  presents  among  the 
tribes,  making  the  poor  natives  happy  for  the 
nonce,  and  soon  after  his  party  re-embarked  in 
their  canoes,  and  bidding  good-by  to  Fort  Provi- 
dence, to  whose  lonely  little  garrison  their  visit 
had  been  a  rare  gleam  of  pleasure  in  the  dull 
monotony  of  their  lives,  set  out  gayly  upon  the 
journey  back  to  Chipewyan. 


CH/PTER   XV. 


THE    PORTAGE   OF   THE   DROWNED. 


FOR  the  return  journey  Archie  changed  his 
seat,  in  order  that  he  might  be  able  to  talk 
freely  with  his  father.  His  head  was  full  of  the 
idea  of  being  allowed  to  visit  Montreal  the  follow- 
ing summer,  and  he  was  constantly  bringing  up 
the  subject. 

"  Well,  Archie,**  said  his  father,  "  I'm  sure  I'd 
be  very  glad  to  take  you  to  Montreal.  For  that 
matter  I'd  like  well  enough  to  go  there  on  my  own 
account,  but  I  really  do  not  see  my  way  clear  to 
doing  it.  I'm  afraid  you'll  have  to  be  satisfied 
with  getting  as  far  as  Fort  William." 

"But,  father,"  Archie  urged,  "just  think  how 
long  it  is  since  you've  been  there  yourself.  Surely 
the  company  will  give  you  a  holiday  after  so  many 
years  steady  service." 

"The  company  might  very  well  do  it,  my  lad. 

There's   no   doubt   about   that.      None   of  their 

factors  have  served  them  more  faithfully  than  I 

aoa 


THE   PORTAGE   OF   THE   DROWNED. 


203 


mged  his 
le  to  talk 
ull  of  the 
the  foUow- 
■inging  up 

n  sure  I'd 
For  that 
on  my  own 
ly  clear  to 
e  satisfied 

think  how 
If.  Surely 
er  so  many 

it,  my  lad. 

iC   of  their 

[uUy  than  I 


have,"  answered  Mr.  McKenzie.  "  But  these  are 
troubled  times,  you  know.  I'm  always  looking 
for  McDougal  to  be  back  at  Wedderburne  with  a 
gang  of  ruffians  from  the  bay  or  the  Red  River, 
and  it  wouldn't  do  for  me  to  be  away  from  Chipe- 
wyan  in  that  case." 

"But  perhaps  he  won't  come  back,  father," 
urged  Archie  earnestly,  "and  then  there'd  be 
nothing  to  prevent  your  going,  would  there  } " 

"  Well,  of  course  that  would  make  a  diffierence," 
admitted  the  factor.  "  I'd  feel  freer  to  go,  for  it's 
not  likely  there'd  be  another  of  the  same  kind  in 
his  place,  and  Mr.  Wentzel  could  look  after  the 
fort  right  enough  for  a  while.  And  that  reminds 
me,  I  hope  we'll  find  Wentzel  back  when  we  get 
to  the  fort.  He's  full  due  now,  and  ought  to  be 
there  before  us." 

"That  dreadful  Mr.  McDougal!"  cried  Archie, 
in  tones  of  intense  aversion.  "  How  I  hate  him  ! 
I  hope  he'll  never  show  his  ugly  face  at  Lake 
Athabasca  again." 

"I  hope  the  same  with  all  my  heart,"  said  the 
factor.  "  But  I  misdoubt  it.  I've  a  kind  of  pre- 
monition that  that  man's  going  to  give  us  some 
trouble  yet." 

"Well,  as  sure  as  he  does,  father,  I'll  make  him 
suffer  for  it,"  burst  out  the  boy,  his  face  flushing 
with  passionate  feeling. 

"Softly,  laddie,  softly,"  said  Mr.  McKenzie 
soothingly.     "  He   played   you   a  sorry  trick   no 


204 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


doubt,  in  trying  to  have  you  carried  off  by  the 
Quarrelers.  But  remember,  it  is  not  ours  to  take 
vengeance.  The  good  Book  teaches  better  than 
that." 

"  Yes;  I  know  it  does,  father,"  admitted  Archie 
very  reluctantly.  "  But  surely  such  wicked  men 
deserve  to  be  punished  some  way." 

*'  Certainly,  my  boy,  certainly  they  do,  and  they 
are.  Sooner  or  later  the  punishment  comes.  But 
it's  not  for  any  of  us  to  take  upon  ourselves  to 
administer  it." 

Archie  was  silent.  He  was  ready  enough  to 
argue  with  his  father,  but  he  knew  it  was  useless 
to  attempt  to  argue  against  the  Bible.  And  yet 
there  burned  within  him,  losing  none  of  its  strength 
through  lapse  of  time,  an  intense  desire  to  repay 
the  factor  of  Fort  Wedderburne  for  the  evil  he 
had  sought  to  do  him.  The  Indian  passion  for  re- 
venge was  in  his  blood,  tempered  it  is  true  very 
materially  by  the  other  elements  of  his  nature, 
and  the  excellence  of  his  t"^ining,  but  there, 
nevertheless  ;  and  as  he  contemplated  the  possi- 
bility of  the  man  he  hated  inflicting  a  still  further 
injury  by  preventing  his  father  from  going  to 
Montre?^  he  felt  that  he  was  equal  to  doing  any- 
thing to  him  short  of  taking  his  life. 

In  the  meantime,  the  party  was  making  steady 
progress  southward.  As  they  were  going  upstream 
they  could  not  of  course  advance  quite  so  fast  as 
on  the  down  trip,  but  they  paddled  away  all  the 


THE    PORTAGE    OF    THE    DROWNED. 


205 


by  the 
5  to  take 
ter  than 

d  Archie 
ked  men 

and  they 
les.  But 
rselves  to 

inough  to 
as  useless 
And  yet 
:s  strength 
p  to  repay 
lie  evil  he 
ion  for  re- 
true  very 
lis  nature, 
but  there, 
the  possi- 
till  further 
going  to 
doing  any- 


:ing  steady 
g  upstream 
so  fast  as 
way  all  the 


more  vigorously  for  that,  and  in  due  time  turned 
again  in  order  to  replenish  their  supply  of  salt, 
having  divided  what  they  had  got  before  between 
the  Moose-Deer  Post  and  Fort  Providence.  They 
also  kept  a  sharp  lookout  for  bison,  and  the  boys 
tried  hard  to  repeat  their  former  success,  while 
the  salt  was  being  gathered,  but  not  a  horn,  hump, 
or  hoof  was  to  be  seen. 

The  following  morning  they  arrived  at  the  foot 
of  the  ill-omened  Portage  of  the  Drowned,  the 
first  of  the  series  of  rapids  which  would  have  to 
be  overcome  before  the  Slave  River  settled  down 
to  quiet  ways  again. 

The  arrangement  was  the  same  as  before  ;  the 
boys  carrying  the  guns  and  ammunition,  and  the 
two  men  first  taking  up  the  canoe,  and  then  mak- 
ing a  second  trip  for  its  lading.  When  they 
reached  the  head  of  the  rapid,  Archie  was  de- 
lighted to  find  a  fine  flock  of  ducks  floating  quietly 
on  the  bosom  of  the  river  a  couple  of  hundred 
yards  from  shore. 

**  Hurrah  !  Here's  luck,"  he  cried.  "  Sawt- 
loulai  and  I  will  bag  some  duck  for  dinner  while 
you're  bringing  up  the  packs.  Come  along,  Sawt- 
loulai,  let's  launch  the  canoe." 

"Be  careful  not  to  get  into  the  current,  Archie," 
called  out  Mr.  McKenzie.  *'  It's  very  strong  at 
the  head  of  the  rapid." 

"All  right,  father,  I'll  look  out  for  it,"  answered 
Archie,  paddling  out  from  the  bank. 


206 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


Stealing  gently  over  the  still  water  the  canoe 
drew  near  the  unsuspecting  ducks.  They  had 
evidently  never  seen  such  a  thing  before,  and  per- 
haps mistook  it  for  a  floating  log.  But  when,  hav- 
ing got  within  range,  Archie  laid  down  his  paddle 
and  picked  up  his  gun,  the  birds,  startled  by  the 
movement,  rose  from  the  water,  and  flew  away  in 
the  direction  of  the  rapids. 

The  moment  they  did,  Archie  fired  into  their 
midst.  It  was  a  rather  long  range  shot,  but  his 
gun  was  a  good  one,  and  at  least  a  part  of  its 
contents  did  its  duty,  for  one  duck  fell  at  once, 
while  another,  after  frantic  endeavors  to  keep  the 
balance,  soon  followed  its  example,  although  hav- 
ing only  a  broken  wing  it  was  able  to  continue  its 
flight  by  swimming. 

"  Paddle,  Sawtloulai,  paddle  hard,"  shouted 
Archie,  forgetting  everything  in  his  eagerness  to 
secure  the  ducks. 

The  dead  one  was  soon  picked  up ;  and  seizin^; 
the  other  paddle,  Archie  sent  the  canoe  rippling 
tbrouijh  the  water  after  the  wounded  bird.  A 
dozen  vigorous  strokes  brought  it  within  reach  ; 
one  well-directed  blow  of  the  paddle  finished  it, 
and  having  got  safely  on  board  the  boys  turned 
the  canoe  toward  the  shore. 

To  their  horror  they  found  that  they  could 
make  no  headway.  They  put  all  their  strength 
into  their  strokes,  but  the  canoe  refused  to  respond, 
A  stronger  influence  than  they  could  exert  was 


THE    PORTAGE   OF    THE    DROWNED. 


207 


the  canoe 
They  had 
e,  and  per- 
vvhen,  hav- 
his  paddle 
:led  by  the 
ew  away  in 

I  into  their 
lot,  but  his 
part  of  its 
"ell  at  once, 
to  keep  the 
though  hav- 
continue  its 

/*    shouted 
jagerness  to 

and  seizin?; 
[noe  rippling 
:d  bird.  A 
ithin  reach  ; 
finished  it, 
boys  turneil 

they  coulil 
leir  strength 
[d  to  respond. 
Id  exert  was 


fighting  against  them.  Soon  they  realized  their 
peril.  In  their  thoughtless  haste  to  recover  the 
ducks  they  had  ventured  too  near  the  rapid,  and 
were  now  in  its  irresistible  grasp. 

"Sawtloulai,"  gasped  Archie,  his  face  whitening 
with  terror,  "  we're  in  the  rapids." 

The  Indian  made  no  response  save  to  dig  his 
paddle  more  desperately  into  the  whirling  water. 

*'  It's  no  use,"  cried  Archie.  **  We  can't  get 
back.  We'll  have  to  run  them.  Save  your 
strength  for  that." 

The  boy  kept  on  paddling  as  if  he  did  not  hear 
him. 

*'  Stop,  I  say,"  shrieked  Archie.  "You're  only 
tiring  yourself  for  nothing.  Let's  turn  her  round, 
and  run  for  it." 

As  though  in  a  dream,  Sawtloulai  obeyed.  He 
was  almost  paralyzed  with  fright ;  and  Archie,  see- 
ing his  condition,  and  realizing  that  if  they  were 
to  escape  at  all  he  must  think  for  both,  sought  to 
control  his  own  feelings,  and  nerve  himself  for 
what  was  coming.  Happily  he  had  the  bow  of 
the  canoe,  and  if  Sawtloulai  would  only  obey  his 
commands  they  might  yet  survive  the  passage  of 
the  terrible  Portage  of  the  Drowned,  slight  as  the 
chances  were. 

"  Now,  Sawtloulai,"  shouted  Archie,  "  do  just 
as  I  tell  you,  and  don't  be  afraid." 

The  frail  bark  was  turned  about,  and  at  once 
sped   away  down  stream   like   an   arrow.     For  a 


2o8 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


little  distance  the  current  ran  smoothly,  giving 
the  boys  time  to  brace  themselves  firmly  in  their 
places,  and  prepare  for  their  tremendous  struggle 
with  the  relentless  rapid.  Only  by  some  miracle 
could  they  escape  the  fate  of  those  whose  death 
had  given  the  place  its  name,  and  yet  that  miracle 
might  take  place.  Keskarrah  had  got  through 
safely,  was  the  thought  that  flashed  into  Archie's 
mind.     Might  they  not  do  so,  too } 

"  Do  just  as  I  tell  you,  Sawtloulai,*'  he  shouted 
once  more  ;  and  the  Indian,  who  now  seemed  to 
have  somewhat  recovered  his  wits,  straightened 
himself  up,  and  answered  with  a  steady  : 

"  All  right,  Archie.     I'll  do  my  best." 

There  was  no  chance  for  further  words.  The 
next  moment  they  were  amidst  the  wild  turmoil 
of  waters,  and  the  canoe  swerved  and  plunged,  and 
darted  hither  and  thither  as  the  violent  swirls  and 
eddies  caught  it  in  their  grasp  for  a  moment,  and 
then  flung  it  away  with  reckless  force.  The  whole 
volume  of  the  water  was  here  confined  to  a  narrow 
channel  running  between  high  banks,  and  thickly 
studded  with  mighty  bowlders,  worn  sn.ooth  by 
the  ceaseless  rush  of  water.  Great  as  was  the  peril 
from  the  furious  waves,  these  bowlders  were  still 
more  to  be  feared.  Were  the  canoe  but  to  touch 
one  of  them,  while  flying  on  at  so  tremendous  a 
speed,  it  would  be  crushed  like  an  egg-shell. 

Hracec'  firmly  in  the  bow,  and  holding  his  paddle 
before  him  as  a  pole  with  which  to  push  the  canoe 


THE   PORTAGE   OF   THE    DROWNED. 


209 


away  from  the  rocks,  Archie  brought  every  power 
of  mind  and  body  to  bear  upon  his  work.  The 
task  was  Oiie  from  which  even  Akaitchko,  tne 
best  canoe  man  in  Athabasca,  would  have  shrunk  ; 
and  well  was  it  for  the  boy  that  his  training  in  the 
management  of  the  canoe  had  been  so  thorough, 
for  one  mistaken  stroke,  one  wrong  signal  to  Sawt- 
loulai;  and  their  fate  was  sealed. 

In  the  intensity  of  the  struggle  he  forgot  all  his 
fear  and  nervousness.  He  even  felt  a  thrill  of  ex- 
ultation when  a  bowlder  that  threatened  destruc- 
tion was  safely  passed,  or  a  gaping  whirlpool 
dexterously  avoided. 

There  was  a  wonderful  exhilaration  in  this  wild 
descent,  and  even  when  in  the  very  midst  of  it, 
the  thought  came  to  him  : 

**  If  we  only  get  through  alive,  what  a  fuss  they'll 
make  over  us." 

In  the  meantime,  the  two  men  upon  the  bank 
above  had  become  a  vare  of  their  sons*  peril.  It 
was  Akaitchko  that  first  observed  the  canoe  dart- 
ing after  them,  and  without  a  word  he  grasped  the 
factor's  arm,  and  pointed  down  to  the  raging 
water  below. 

"  Merciful  Heavens  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  McKenzie 
as  an  awful  chill  struck  his  heart.  "  Our  darling 
boys  !     Can  we  do  nothing  to  save  them  ?  " 

The  old  Indian  shook  his  head  despairingly. 
Indeed,  no  earthly  power  could  have  helped  the 
boys  then,  and  realizing  this,  the  factor,  breathing 


.'»o 


AKt  tnu   (»u   AiiiAnAMrA, 


a   piavn    at    rv«MV   Mlrp,    nmhcMl    hanlitally   nlnujr 
ll\o  l>;\nk,  t\nnin«',  «*V(M  y  minnh'   lo   look    alln    ihr 
ran»u\  whiU'  AkmtrhUo  (ollowod  rlnMc  lu  Ininl  Itini 
Tho  inotjualitit's  ol    Ihr  j',HMn\«l  wonM   at    intrivals 
shnl  [\\r\\\  out  Ijoin  sii'ht    ni    the  ran«M\  and  when 


it  ramo  into  vit^w  a}',ain,  Mtill  liilini;  tho  MIIowm 
InaviMv,  tlu'  tartot  would  }'.aMp  out  a  UmvciiI 
"   ri^ank  (iod  !"  ami  take  luvsh  lu»piv 

'V\w  ra)>id  ^*n^l^^^  in  a  ?d^aip  diop,  ahuost  vvoithy 
to  bo  i.dU^I  a  II.  •M\d  alttM  i^srapiu;;  in  mouio  niai 
volotis  n\.\nnoi  ill  otIuM*  priils  ol  tin'  passa|M\  tin* 
canoo  now  y,\\\\c  to  this,  the  last,  and  thr  most  ap 
palliU};  ot  all  Auhio  knew  ol  its  pn'scui  r,  and 
ptoparod  t»>i  tlu'  wotst  Thr  canoiM  ould  not  pos 
siMy  pass  it  without  upst  ttiu};.  rh(*y  nnisl  swim 
tor  thoit  livrs.  thon. 

"  Ho  ivatly  to  swim,  Sawtloulai,"  ho  niod  at  thr 
top  ot  his  vv>iv'0. 

Tho  niAt  nionu'ut  tlx*  oanoo  sht>t  lat  oviM*  the 
blink  o{  iho  tall,  and  iiisappr.ncd  in  the  loam  at 
its  iool. 

"Mvliod!  th(*y*io  ^imo !"  ivro.nu'd  Mr.  MoKcmi- 
rio,  oatohinj;  si|;ht  oi  what  had  happened  from  the 
hii;h  hank  ahovo. 

l^ut  haivllv  had  ho  spokon  hoforo  ono  head  and 
then  tho  othor  appoatod.  Thoy  woro  not  lost  yot. 
l^ut  noithor  woro  thoy  savod  yot.  Tho  oanoo,  flun^ 
violontlv  i>vor  hv  tho  furious  tonont,  had  dealt  poor 
Archie  a  oruol  blow  upi)u  tho  head,  and  rendered 
him  insensible.     Hetore  slrikinir  out  tor  the  shore. 


iiirf    I'nuiMiV   nv    inrr    i»mowni'H. 


211 


S.'iwll(»iil;ii    l«M»l<r«l    trHMirl    for    lii^;   rnfri|Mniori,   nn'l 
q;iw  lii'M    I';  lir  roqr  fni   ;iti    iimf,if»f,  wliitr   ;iri'l  ^till 
Willi    i|ii.i' |<    ihtiiitioii    hr     rrili/f'l    wli;it    w,m    th^* 
malhi,  ;irirl  tlicK'  « ;nnf*   to  liirii   thr    noMr  tlioii^/ht 


Id    icqrtio    l»i'4    Irirnd    or    flif    with    fiirri 


If. 


"••« 


•  mly  a  poor  Iiwlian  hoy,  hr  ha^l   thf*   li»ro   fi|nrit    I 


n 


11. 


hit 

Krjrafdh'Mq  of  Ihr  f  m  f  fhat  owiri';/;  to  th''  fr;irfiil 
strain  ol  thf  |»assai;('  of  thf*  ra|ii'h;  »i|»'»fi  hoth  fiis 
nrtv<»im  a?ifl  phy^iral  syqtffn,  ari'l  thf  mi'Mm 
phiiijo'  into  thr  ir  y  watrr,  hr  hirrm'If  ha'l  hardy 
miflif  irnt  ^t  rcn^'^t  h  h-ft  to  rr,u  h  th'-  iiri'l,  Sawt- 
lonlai  foii('J)t  his  way  to  Ar'  hir's  si'h-,  ari'l  '  at'  liirij/ 
him  hy  the  arm  cir  hr  sank  a^/ain,  put  forth  all 
his  rcinaininj^  vwcryj  in  a  siiprrrnr  rffort  to  make 
ihr  shoir. 

liul  j'.allanJ  as  thr  effort  was  it  woiiM  liavc 
pfidrd  moiirnfiiily  for  hoth  la'!'-;  haH  not  Mr. 
M(  Krn/,ir  artfj  Akaitf  hko,  rrachin;^  thr  fo<»t  of  the 
rapid  at  thr  'vimc  momrrjt,  fhirif'  tfiern^f!lvf!S  in- 
staritly   ifito   the   watf*r.   and    with    rniidity   strokes 


y 


:\i 


II 


cloven    Wicir   way 


to   tl 


le   striif'':'lin'/    l)oys 


n 


If 


wrrc  just  ir»  time  and  no  morr 


IJtt 


c.  :-),iw 


tlo 


iilai  s 


str(Mi<;th  was  fiot  rrpial  to  t)is  S[»irit.  Iweri  alone 
and  nnencnndxM  d  fjr*  wrjuld  have  had  hard  work 
to  free  hims(df  frf)m  the  current's  f.^ras[»  ;  hut,  hur- 
Hcned  witli  Archie,  hr.  could  do  nr)  mr)re  than  keep 
,'dloat,  and  that  ordy  for  a  few  minutes  at  best 
l'*.xhanstrd  afid  flcs[)airinf%  fic  w^is  idvinf^  up 
the  stru;^;jlc,  when  the  voice   of   tfic   factor  eryinc^, 


f\  p 


\n\\\\\'  ov   Arn,\nAc,rA. 


r  "r 


^rnvtlon];n,    Korp    np.    mv    l»<»v/*   foil 


H»M-,M'»1  hi\n,  \\l\iU»  ;n\«MluM  lolicviMl  him  of  Inq  qrnm> 
loss  l>\\i<U-n  i\h  M»  KtMulo  nnd  his  own  ft>ihri 
\viM\'  hoshlo  him.  ;nbi  Iho  no\(  thini;  ho  Ktiow  Ihoy 
vnMv*  ;\11  lowt  s,\(»'  wpon  tho  shou\  Mnd  minontidoil 
l>\  tho  v\^st  ot  iho  p,ni\  who  h;i(l  p»sl  n'lmmMJ 
tion)  t]\»Mi   \\\^\  twpoNiM   iho  poi  lil^O. 

Awlwo,  \v]u>  h.\»l  hrrn  only  sli«;hllv  qlunnrd. 
s\>oi\  \ovo>tMV»i  \  ons\  ionsn*  ss,  awA  thrn  ^n\H  w;is 
tho  t\'io\vMno  ovvM  thv*  hoys'  o\ti.<onlin;n  y  osr:<pt\ 
whtlo  \\\\^  nuM\  y\i\]  with  owe  unothrr  in  showiMin^; 
pr.lisos  \\\\>\\  S.\wtlo\il,n  ioi  his  hnoisin,  nuirh  to 
tho  v;t.r»\fiv'.Uion  ol  pvouvl  ohl  A)v;utv  hUo  So  soon 
:^s  Avv  ]uv'  w.^s  lun^voll   .\5;.un,  ho  looki  »1  nhonl  hnn 

t.\vos,  ;\n«l  thon  tinning  (o 


M  \h 


0  V  n\ 


lo  ot 


sm 


'(-» 


his  tAtluM  \\\\\\  A  s\\  twit^Klo  ot   «ho  oyo,  s:ii»l   in  ,\ 
y\\\\c\  tonv^  : 

*•  Wo'H   Ivwo   to   i;ivo   tho   pluoo   ;\   now   naino, 
iatluM,  won't  wo  ^  *' 


How  IS  th.\t,  Avohi< 


askotl  tho  t.u'tv>r.  ho 


\\\y 


\\\^  \>n  Iv.s  son  with  \in\ittov;\Mo  alVootion. 

"Whv.  insto.\vi  vM  oaUin^  it  tho  l\Mta};o  of  tho 
Piownovi  it  oiiolu  to  bo  oalloil  tho  l\Mla};o  of  tlio 
lv^\  s    th.U    WvMilvin't    Oiown.      Pon'l    you    think 


so 


Tho  taotois  answer  was  to  thiow  his  l)rawny 
Arnis  about  his  bov.  anil  j;ivo  him  a  huj;  worthy  of 
a  blaok  boar. 

"It  was  a  miracle,  ku^viio  ;  nothing  but  a  miracle 


I  Ml     I'MIHA';!'    (iV     I  Mr    hlUtWNVh 


/t  ' 


fni   wlii(  li  \vr  i  MiMMit  l»o  \itn  tliMrikfiil  fo  n  rn' f  ifiil 
PinvitltMK  «'  " 

I  liiq  llii  illiii^  rjtimidr  (  (»q(  t!io  |»;h(  y  lliiMf  irior  m 
lii|4,  jMitl  Ai(liir;nHl  i;iw(  loiihii  flirii  ^iMm,  for  <»f 
ronmo  i(  vv;m  ilii)M»f^qil»|r  \ii  ir»»ivrr  flif'  hittf'f. 
MmI  (hr  r;niMr  iMi'l  |»;Ml'llrq  wtm'  rr^MJiwI  iiniri 
jmi«mI,  mill  ill  tln^  MdriiiMfifi  flw  li(imrw;iffl  joiirnry 
w;m  M'qmnrd  Nnfliiiij.;  fiirlliff  nf  Mof  r  r>r<nr  rff|. 
INm l.'im*  Jilln  |MU |;i{M^  w;m  |»;mRr'l  wifhonf  tr'"if»lf'. 
hy  ll»<*  iiii'MIr  nl  lln'  lliinl  'l;»y  thr  » ;mor4  wrrf! 
niK  (MiHUr  (  l<Mviii('   I  lir  w;ihM  q  ol    I,il<»'  A  f  [»-«li,mf  ;i  . 


Ill 


HI)  I  rn*  I  lir  cvruiii^  «l.n  Uim  ^q  <  Mirif  t  Ihm  (k  (  ii|»,irif  q 


vv 


omjmmIv  iivv;iil  iiij;  Ihrii    irtiim    ;it     I'orf    (  fii|»rwy;iri. 
riir   vvlmlc   rvriiini'^    w;m    |;ivri!    iiji   fo    fjdif  inj/ 
;iinl  in  nimliii);  \\\r  in<  idrnh;  f»f  tlif  Irip.      Mrq    Mr- 
Kni/io  and   l<m(*  M;iiir  liqtcfiffl  witli  \>'d\r<\  hrriifh 
;inil  nV(M  dnvviM}',  cycq  ;m  tlir  l,i(  for   toM  of    Ihr:  pas- 
sage n(    tlir    I'oil.ij'/'   (»l    IIm*    l)iowncd.      V/hrri   he 
had    liiiishcd,    Mis.    M(  K(!ii/ir   stiaiiird    Archie;   tf> 
h(M   hosoin,  iniii  iiHitii);^  Ihioii^di  \\rr  team: 
••  My  |)i('(ioMs  hoy!      My  prrcioim  hoy!** 
'I'hrii     suddenly     rising     from     her     chair,     rthf! 


oxi'iamici 


I 


.1  nuraolc 


•'That  darling  .'•'awtlonlai  !  f  rrni'it  ^rj:  hirn 
and  tl<ank  liiin  for  myself.  Archie,  do  run  and 
hrin^  him  in." 

Oil  sped  Archie,  didij^hted  at  his  errand.  IVes- 
ently  he  returned,  holding  hy  the  hand  the  brave 
Iiulian    boy,  who   hun^;    his    head   and   looked   aa 


^\,\ 


AKitHK    OV     ArilAHASCA. 


sharpish  MS  if  he  wore  ahoiit  to  rcrcivo  rcptool 
insUvhl  ol  pi.iist\  As  soon  as  Uc  cnhMcd  \\\c  loom, 
Mis    MrKon.ic  iusIumI  up  to  him  impnlsivcly,  iind 


t.jkiiui   his  t.iwnv   i.irr  i 


n   h 


cv  hands,  i\i\\'c  him  .i 


hc.ntv   kiss   u\^o\\   hoth   ihct'ks,  };roatlv   iiu  leasing; 
tho  poor  khl's  v'onlusiv)n,  wliiU'   Kosc-Mario  made 


mattois  still  worse  iv>r  iiim  by  promptly  imilalm^ 
hor  mother's  example. 

"  nv>naUI,  the  ihwr  boy  must  be  w«'ll  rewarded, 
mustn't  he?"   said  Mrs.  MeKen/ie. 

"He  shall  indeed,  \'irj;inie,"  replied  the  faetor. 
"  We  ean  never  Inllv  repay  what  we  owe  him,  and 
I'll  \\o{  torj;et  the  obligation,  I  assure  von." 

As  si>i>n  as  hei^^nUi,  Sawth^idai  beat  his  retreat, 
the  pioud(\st  and  happiest  little  Indi.in  in  the 
North w(^st  etnmtry. 

Aftei  Arehie  and  Kose-Marie  had  L;<>ne  olT  to 
bed,  the  iaetoi-  and  his  wife  drew  their  ehaiis 
eh^ser  tOiiether  by  the  eraeklini2-   lin\  and   settled 


ilown  toi-  a  i:vH>d  lorn:  ta 


They  made  an  effeet 


ive  pietuie  as  the  tiielii;ht  tlasheil  Uj>on  their 
countenauv'es  :  the  factor's  so  sijuare,  st ron<;  and 
sha5;i;v,  and  X'iiL^inie's  so  smooth,  plump  and 
plaeid,  now  that  all  cause  for  anxiety  was  i;()ne, 
and  her  ue.'r  i>nes  were  safe  at  luMue  aL;ain. 

"  1  wotiiler  what's  delavinir  Went/el  ?  "  said  Mr. 


MoKen  i( 


He  vHiiiht   U>   be  baeU    before   this. 


I  hope  tiothiui;-  has  happened  to  1  ,m.  It  wouUl 
be  a  bad  business  if  we  didn't  get  our  year's  sup- 
plies.    We  need  almost  cyervthing." 


rm    r(H<iA(;r  cik    rnr,  dhowniij. 


215 


It 


We  li;«V('H*t    licinl   ,1  vvnul    finm  hitn/*    replied 
his  wile.      ••  I  «ln  1m»|»('  he's  .'ill  ii|;lit." 

•'11  he  isn't,  vvc'ir  ;ill  wnn)^,  Viij^^inir.  Cotild 
the  Iliidson's  IViys  liavc  inlf'rfrrc*!  vvilh  linu. 
I  vvoiifler?"  ;u](l  the  faelot  knitted  his  hiovv^ 
|»er|>lexe(lly. 

"  I'lie  Ihidscm's  H.iys  !  **  rtird  Mis.  N\cKr.\)/.\(\ 
"().  Donnldl  I  loi  tM>t  to  tell  you.  Mr.  Mrnoiii^al's 
hark  al    I'ort  Wfdderhm  lie." 

Willi  ati  exelafnation  of  prohmrjd  annoyance, 
the  fiiietor  sjnan}^^  to  Ids  feet,  atid  he^^sin  patinj/ 
lip  and  down  the  rootn  with  heavy  steps. 

"MeI)onj;al  hack  at  Wedderhnrne  !  When  did 
he  eonie  hack?"  he  asked,  lookin^^  ho  distnr})ed 
that  the  placid  expression  ^ave  place  tf)  one  f»f 
tender  anxiety  on  his  wife's  pretty  face  as  she 
ansv/ered  : 

"  I'm  not  jiist  sure  wlicn.  P»nt  he  can't  l)C 
hack  lon^;.  Mr.  Stewart  told  nie  ahout  it  only 
yesterday 

"  C'onfound  the  man  !  T  hr)|)ed  we  were  done 
with  him,"  j;rowled  the  factor.  "Mis  [>resencc 
here  can  mean  nothin[]j  })ut  mischief.  He's  a 
scoundrel  that  will  stop  at  nothing, 


It 


It 


Iwer  since  McDou^al  had  attempted  to  rob  her 
of  Archie,  Mrs.  McKenzic  had  felt  tr)ward  nim 
the  most  intense  aversion,  but  she  did  not  quite 
understand  why  her  husband  should  show  so 
much  concern. 

*•  liut,   Donald   dear,"  said    she   softly,   "you're 


2l6 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


not  afraid  of  the  wretch  doing  us  any  harm,  are 
you  ?     Would  he  dare  to  ?  " 

**  I  don't  know,  Virginie.  I've  a  queer  Reeling 
about  that  man  which  I  can't  explain.  Some- 
thing seems  to  tell  me  that  he's  going  to  give  us 
trouble  yet.  The  cowardly  cur !  to  try  to  revenge 
himself  upon  a  mere  boy!  I  wish  to  Heaven  he'd 
never  set  foot  here  again." 

While  they  were  talking,  Archie  came  into  the 
room  half-undressed.  He  had  overheard  his  fa- 
ther's excited  tones,  and  was  curious  to  learn 
the  cause.  As  he  appeared  with  an  inquiring 
look  upon  his  face,  Mr.  McKenzie,  not  waiting  to 
be  questioned,  said  meaningly  : 

"  Archie,  McDougal's  back.  I'm  afraid  you've 
a  poor  chance  of  getting  to  Montreal,  or  even 
to  Fort  William,  now.  I  can't  leave  the  villain 
un  watched." 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


ARCHIE  TO   THE   RESCUE. 


AT  his  father's  words  Archie's  face  flamed 
with  anger.  Was  the  man  he,  with  so 
good  reason,  looked  upon  as  most  hateful  of 
human  kind  to  cheat  him  of  the  joys  upon  which 
his  heart  was  set }  So  furious  was  his  indigna- 
tion that  for  a  moment  he  could  not  find  words  to 
express  it.  Then,  with  clenched  fists  and  flashing 
eyes,  he  cried : 

"Mr.  McDougal  shall  not  prevent  us  going  to 
Fort  William,  father,  or  to  Montreal,  either.  We 
will  go  in  spite  of  him." 

Mr.  McKenzie  smiled  bitterly. 

"  It  is  easier  to  say  that  than  to  carry  it  out, 
laddie.  My  duty  to  the  company  will  not  suffer 
me  to  desert  my  post  when  I'm  most  needed,  you 
know." 

Archie  had  nothing  just  ready  to  say  to  this ; 

but  throwing  himself  into  a  chair,  he  gazed  at  the 

fire  earnestly,  as  though  he  might  find  there  some 

217 


2l8 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


solution  of  the  vexatious  problem.  They  talked 
for  another  hour  without  finding  matters  growing 
any  clearer,  and  then  separated  for  the  night, 
Archie  returning  to  his  room  very  heavy  at  heart. 

The  next  morning  the  factor  made  inquiry 
about  Mr.  McDougal,  and  ascertained  that  he  had 
brought  back  with  him  an  increased  staff  of  em- 
ployes and  a  great  supply  of  goods,  and  evidently 
intended  to  enter  into  competition  as  vigorous  as 
it  would  be  unscrupulous  with  his  rival  at  Chipe- 
wyan.  What  the  factor  did  not  learn,  because 
only  those  at  Fort  Wedderburne  knew  it,  was  that 
the  strife  between  the  two  companies  had  reached 
a  crisis.  Strategy  and  artifice  had  given  place  to 
brute  force  ;  one  bloody  encounter  had  followed 
fast  upon  another,  until  at  last  the  contest  had 
culminated  in  a  battle  royal  that  very  summer 
before  the  gates  of  the  Hudson's  Bay's  chief  fort 
at  Red  River,  in  which  Governor  Semple,  three  of 
his  officers  and  seventeen  of  his  men  had  fallen 
victims  to  the  bullets  of  the  Nor' westers.  Thence- 
forward the  cry  was,  "  War  to  the  knife  ; "  and 
Miles  McDougal  had  come  back  to  his  post, 
accompanied  by  a  score  of  the  most  desperate 
characters  in  the  employ  of  his  company,  and 
determined  to  deal  the  Nor'westers  such  a  blow 
at  Lake  Athabasca  that  they  would  not  recover 
from  it  for  many  a  day. 

As  there  never  had  been  any  actual  conflict 
between  the  two  forts,  coarse  and  brutal  as  he 


ARCHIE    TO   THE   RESCUE. 


219 


was,  he  shrank  from  beginning  hostilities  in  cold 
blood  ;  moreover,  he  had  his  doubts  as  to  the 
result  of  a  trial  of  strength  with  his  sturdy,  lion- 
hearted  rival.  A  less  dangerous,  yet  no  less 
effective  method  of  attaining  his  object,  presented 
itself  to  his  crafty  brain,  and  without  delay,  for 
the  autumn  was  well-nigh  gone,  and  his  scheme 
must  be  executed  before  winter  came,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  carry  it  out. 

Mr.  McKenzie  had  been  back  for  two  days, 
during  which  he  had  seen  nothing  of  the  Fort 
Wedderburne  people,  when  in  the  evening,  while 
he  was  enjoying  his  after-supper  pipe  before  the 
fire,  a  messenger  from  the  fort  asked  to  see  him. 
A  good  deal  surprised  at  this  announcement,  he 
ordered  the  man  to  be  sent  in  to  him.  He  proved 
to  be  one  of  the  new  staff,  a  keen,  hard-faced  man, 
with  an  easy,  plausible  manner.  He  at  once  made 
known  the  reason  of  hiiJ  errand.  Mr.  McDougal 
had  been  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  was  in  great 
suffering.  None  of  those  at  the  fort  knew  any- 
thing about  applying  remedies,  and  Mr.  McKen- 
zie's  reputation  as  a  **  medicine  man "  being 
founded  upon  many  successful  cures,  by  the  aid 
of  a  well-furnished  medicine  chest,  his  rival,  feel- 
ing his  life  to  be  in  danger,  had  sent  over  for 
him,  hoping  that  in  Christian  charity  he  would 
not  refuse  to  do  what  he  could  to  give  him  relief. 

Mr.    McKenzie   was  completely   taken  off   his 
guard.      No    resentment    for    past    injuries,    nor 


220 


ARCHIE    OF    ATIIADASCA. 


apprehension  of  present  treachery,  was  present  in 
his  mind,  as,  rising  promptly  from  his  comfortable 
seat,  he  said  : 

**  Certainly,  IMl  come.  The  man  mustn't  die  if 
I  can  help  him." 

While  he  was  buttoning  on  his  coat,  his  wife, 
coming  close  to  him,  whispered  : 

"  Why  should  you  go  to  him,  Donald }  He 
would  never  give  you  aid." 

"  Mush,  Virginie  !  "  he  answered  softly.  "  Does 
not  the  Bible  say,  'Love  your  enemies.^'  I'm 
doing  no  more  than  I  would  expect  another  to  do 
for  me." 

Meantime,  the  messenger  was  watcning  him 
with  a  look  of  crafty  triumph,  and  had  the  factor 
only  caught  it,  he  might  have  hesitated  before 
putting  himself  in  his  rival's  power.  But  he  sus- 
pected nothing ;  and  filling  his  pockets  with  differ- 
ent remedies,  he  kissed  his  wife,  saying: 

•'  Don't  worry  if  I'm  not  back  soon.  Perhaps 
ril  have  to  stay  all  night  with  him,  if  he's  very 
ill/*  and  went  out  with  the  man,  whose  evil  face 
bore  a  Satanic  leer  of  satisfaction  at  these  parting 
words. 

As  they  walked  over  to  Fort  Wcddcrburne,  Mr. 
McKenzie  asked  many  questions  concerning  the 
sick  man,  but  his  companion  seemed  to  know  very 
little  about  the  matter,  except  that  Mr.  McDougal 
had  sent  him  with  the  message,  and  was  anxiously 
awaiting  his  return. 


ARCHIE    TO   THE    RESCUE. 


221 


All  was  quiet  at  the  fort  when  they  arrived,  and 
he  was  conducted  at  once  to  the  sufferer's  room. 
He  found  him  in  bed,  tossing  about  and  groaning, 
apparently  in  intense  agony.  Seating  himself 
upon  a  chair,  placed  conveniently  at  the  bedside, 
he  began  to  ask.  McDougal  some  questions  as  to 
his  trouble.  That  moment  a  strong  rope  was 
fluns:  around  him  from  behind.  Without  uttcrins: 
a  word,  four  powerful  men  seized  him  in  their 
grip,  and,  giant  though  he  was,  so  swift,  so  unex- 
pected was  the  attack,  that  before  he  could  make 
any  effectual  resistance  he  was  bound  hand  and 
foot  and  lying  on  the  floor  as  helpless  as  a  baby  ; 
while  the  scoundrel  whom  he  had  come  to  help, 
leaping  from  his  bed,  all  pretense  of  suffering 
thrown  away,  stood  over  him,  his  repulsive  coun- 
tenance lit  up  with  a  grin  of  diabolical  triumph,  as 
he  shouted  : 

"  Who's  tlie  sick  man  now }  Aha !  I've  got 
you  tight  and  fast,  and  I'm  going  to  send  you  on 
a  pleasant  little  trip  to  Fort  York  for  the  good  of 
your  health.     What  do  you  say  to  that  ?  " 

Dumfounded  at  the  man's  abominable  treach- 
ery, Mr.  McKcnzie  lay  silent,  and  tried  to  take  in 
the  full  purport  of  his  words.  What  did  he  mean 
about  sending  him  to  Fort  York,  a  thousand  miles 
and  more  away  on  the  bleak  shores  of  Hudson's 
Bay  }  As  if  in  response  to  the  bewildered  look 
upon  the  factor's  face,  McDougal  continued  : 

"  You    don't    seem    to  understand    mc.     Well, 


222 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


I'll  make  it  plain  enough.  We  Hudson's  Bays 
have  put  up  with  you  Nor' westers  altogether  too 
long.  If  we'd  taken  you  in  hand  twenty  years 
ago,  we'd  have  been  saved  a  sight  of  trouble. 
But  we're  going  to  rid  ourselves  of  your  kind. 
We're  going  to  clear  the  country  of  you,  and  my 
orders  are  to  send  you  a  prisoner  to  York,  and  to 
leave  not  a  stick  of  Fort  Chipewyan  standing." 

Losing  all  thought  of  himself  in  the  anxiety  for 
his  family  these  startling  words  aroused,  Mr.  Mc- 
Kenzie  murmured,  **  My  poor  wife  and  children." 

"  Oh  !  you  needn't  worry  about  them,"  sneered 
DcDougal,  catching  what  he  said.  "  I've  no 
quarrel  with  the  women  and  children.  They  can 
stay  there  all  winter,  but  I'll  give  them  notice  to 
quit  in  the  spring." 

And  now  did  Mr.  McKenzie's  superb  self- 
control  stand  him  in  good  stead.  McDougal  had 
expected  that  he  would  storm  and  rage  until  ex- 
hausted, which  would  be  fine  fun  for  himself  and 
his  rascally  accomplices.  But,  much  to  his  dis- 
appointment, the  factor  did  nothing  of  the  kind. 
He  thoroughly  understood  that  it  would  not  only 
be  utterly  useless,  but  would  expose  him  to  the 
jeers  and  taunts  of  his  captors.  So  he  held  his 
peace,  while  they  marveled  at  his  composure. 

Presently,  addressing  McDougal,  he  asked  in 
tones  of  quiet  dignity  : 

"  When  do  you  intend  to  start  with  me  for 
York  ? " 


ARCHIE   TO   THE   RESCUE. 


223 


"Ricjht  off,"  replied  McDougal  roughly.  "The 
men  are  getting  ready  now." 

The  factor  could  not  repress  a  shudder  at  the 
idea  of  being  thus  ruthlessly  snatched  away  from 
the  dear  ones  whose  hearts  would  be  torn  with 
anxiety  concerning  him. 

"'  Is  it  any  use  asking  a  favor  of  you  } "  he  in- 
quired, without  a  trace  of  anger  in  his  voice. 

"  I  can't  say,"  answered  the  other.  **  That 
depends  upon  what  it  is." 

**  Will  you  let  my  family  know  what's  become 
of  me  .^" 

**  Humph  !  let  me  see.  Well,  I  might  send 
them  back  word  after  we're  safe  on  the  other  side 
of  the  lake,"  said  McDougal  grudgingly. 

"  I  shall  be  grateful  if  you  will.  It  will  relieve 
their  minds  a  little;  "  and  the  factor  sighed  heav- 
ily as  he  thought  how  slight  the  relief  would  be. 
Still  it  would  be  better  than  the  harrowing  uncer- 
tainty of  entire  ignorance. 

A  moment  later  one  of  the  employes  came  in, 
and  announced  that  everything  was  ready. 

"  Here  you  are,  then,"  said  McDougal.  '*  Just 
pick  him  up,  and  carry  him  down  to  the  shore." 

Four  of  the  men,  lifting  Mr.  McKenzie  to  their 
shoulders,  bnre  him  out  into  the  nic;ht  and  down 
to  the  shores  of  the  lake,  where  two  of  the  canoes 
and  a  number  of  men  were  in  waiting.  The  help- 
less captive  was  deposited  in  the  bottom  of  the 
largest  canoe,  a  buffalo  skin  thrown  over  him  for 


224 


ARCIUK    OF    ATIIAnASCA. 


warmth,  and  presently  the  canoes,  each  having;  a 
CI  CSV  of  four,  set  out  across  the  lake,  steering;  ihio 
south  by  the  aid  of  the  stars,  which  sparkled 
bri};htly  throuj;h  the  still,  clear  atmosphere. 

Harassed  by  the  keenest  anxiety,  and  sufTerin^ 
much  discomfort  from  his  bonds,  Mr.  McKenzie, 
endurins;  his  misery  in  heroic  silence,  looked  up 
at  the  pityinj;  stars  and  prayed  fervently  for  de- 
liverance. He  had  no  fear  of  actual  violence  so 
lonq;  as  he  (piietly  submitted.  McDou^al  was,  no 
do\d>t,  acting  untler  some  pretense  of  legal  author- 
ity, r.nd  the  worst  that  could  happen  to  himself 
w(ndd  probably  be  his  being  sent  across  to  ICng 
land  in  one  of  the  Hudson's  l^ay's  ships,  and  then 
turned  adrift  to  seek  redress  as  best  he  might,  a 
stranger  and  a  pauper  in  a  strange  land. 

It  was  the  wife  and  children,  whom  he  loved 
better  than  his  own  life,  that  occupied  his 
thoujihts  to  the  exclusion  of  all  else.  What  was 
to  become  of  them  in  the  long  space  of  time  that 
must  interfere  ere  he  could,  by  any  possibility, 
rejoin  them,  if  McDougal  carried  his  nefario'.is 
scheme  to  completion.  Where  would  they  go  if 
driven  from  Tort  Chipewyan  in  the  spring  > 
There  was  but  one  ray  of  light  upon  this  dark 
prospect.  Wentzel  might  be  able  to  protect  them 
and  restore  them  to  him  at  last,  l^ut  where  was 
Wentzel  ?     What  caused  his  strange  delay  ? 

In  perfect  silence,  save  for  the  soft  splash  of 
the  paddles,  and  an  occasional  question  as  to  their 


ARCH  IK   TO    TIIK    RKSCUK. 


225 


course  from  McDoii<;al,  who  was  in  the  stern,  to 
the  Indiiin  pilot  in  tlie  bow,  the  party  glided 
throu};h  the  ni^ht,  hour  after  hour,  until  at  lenj^th 
I  he  dark  line  of  the  southern  shore  loomed  (iin)ly 
ahead  ;  and  presently  the  canoes  touched  the 
beach,  not  far  from  the  place  where  the  Atha- 
basca River  enters  into  the  lake.  Not  caring  to 
attempt  the  navigation  of  the  river,  which  was 
beset  with  shallows  and  sandbanks,  in  the  dark- 
ness, McI)ou<!:al  called  a  halt  until  daylight  ;  so 
the  canoes  were  drawn  up,  a  fire  lighted,  and  the 
men  hastened  to  catch  a  wink  of  sleep.  Much  to 
Mr.  McKenzie's  relief,  the  ropes  were  removed, 
and  in  their  stead  his  hands  were  tied  together  in 
front,  and  his  feet  fastened  .so  that  he  could  take 
short  steps,  but  could  not  possibly  run.  In  fact, 
he  was  hobbled  in  precisely  the  same  way  as  a 
horse.  Sitting  down  before  the  fire  he  waited  for 
the  dawn,  plunged  in  distressing  thought. 

As  .soon  as  the  day  broke  the  journey  was  rc- 
sumctl.  lUit  before  the  ])arty  started  Mr.  Mc- 
Kenzie  reminded  McDougal  of  his  promise  to  send 
word  to  Vovt  Chipewyan. 

*'  Oh !  that's  all  right,"  said  McDougal  care- 
lessly. **  I  left  directions  at  the  fort  for  a  man  to 
go  over  and  tell  your  folks  in  the  course  of  the 
morning.     You  needn't  worry  yourself." 

And  with  this  the  poor  prisoner  had,  perforce,  to 
l)e  content,  although  it  was  very  different  from 
what  his  self-constituted  captor  had  promised.     As 


226 


AKnilK    OF    ATllAnASCA. 


fast  as  their  strong,  skillful  rrows  ooiild  patMIc 
thorn,  the  canoes  advancoil  up  the  Athahasra, 
while  the  factor  tortured  his  braii^  with  endeavor 
to  hit  upvMi  sonic  feasible  scheme  to  escape. 

In  the  nieanliine,  how  had  matters  bccii  faring 
at  l^'ort  C'hipewyan  ?  It  was  with  an  inexplicahle 
fccliui;  i)f  apptchension  tliat  Mis.  MiKen/ie  saw 
her  husband  go  out.  No  sooner  had  he  disap- 
pcarcii  than  she  reproached  herself  for  not  detain- 
ing  him,  and  altlioui;h  he  had  told  her  ho  might 
bo  away  all  night,  she  felt  so  uncasv  that  slu* 
dctcrmincil  not  to  go  to  bc^l  until  he  retmiicd. 
So  all  night  long  she  sat  by  the  lire,  or  paced  up 
and  tlown  the  room,  a  prey  to  the  keenest  anxiety. 
When  dawn  c.ime  without  her  husband,  she  could 
bear  the  suspense  no  longer,  and  rousing  Archie 
she  bailc  him  dress  as  ipiickly  as  possible,  and 
run  over  to  incpiire  way  Mr.  McKen/ie  h.ul  not 
rclurncvl. 

Somewhat  alarmed  by  his  mother's  evident  con- 
cern, although  the  gtH)d  woman  ditl  her  best  to 
conceal  it,  Archie  i>bcycd  promptly.  Hut  when 
he  reached  the  fort  he  found   the  iiales  shut   fast. 


d   ki 


J   shout 


:ht. 


anu  knock  and  snout  as  no  might,  not  an  answer 
could  he  evoke,  so  that  after  sjUMiding  half  an  hour 
fruitlessly  in  the  cold  he  was  compelleil  to  return 
no  wiser  than  he  went.  And  all  the  time  the  crafty 
rascal  who  had  decoyed  his  father  into  the  traj) 
was  peeping  through  a  loop-hole  in  the  palisaile, 
and  laughing  gleefully  at  his  vain  endeavors. 


ARtllir:    TO    Tint    KKSCtJK. 


227 


livbasra, 
lulcavoi 

w  faring; 
|>liral>lr 
\/AC  saw 
L*   tlisap- 

(lotain- 
10  niiglit 
\\:\i    she 
otinncd. 
MCOll    lip 
anxiety, 
he  couUl 
i    Au'hio 
1>U*,  ami 

hail  not 

lent  con- 
best  to 
Uit  when 
hut  fast, 
n  answer 
an  hour 
to  return 
he  crafty 
the  tra]) 
pahsavle, 

ors. 


A  litlle  later,  An  hie,  now  thorouj-Iily  alirtned, 
went  hack.  This  time  he  was  admitted,  and  after 
beinj;  l)ad«;ered  with  inconse<pient  replies  until 
almost  <lesperate,  he  was  at  len;,',th  told  the  truth. 
lie  could  not  fully  take  it  in  at  first,  hut  when  he 
hore  the  news  h.iek  to  his  mother  her  passifinatc 
(iishess  helped  him  to  f;rasp  the  s(m  iousnc  ss,  not 
only  of  his  father's  situation,  hut  of  their  own  like* 
wise.  At  once  he  realized  that  he  was  faec!  to 
face  with  a  crisis  which  called  for  his  utmf)st 
pow'  'S.  As  in  the  faiiy  stories,  at  the  tou(  h  of  .1 
muj^ic  wand  the  trees  ehan;;ed  into  human  hein^s, 
so,  at  the  touch  of  a  tiouhle  transcending^  all  [)rc- 
vious  expeiience,  the  li;;ht  hearterl,  care-free  boy 
was  transformeci  into  an  anxious,  determined  man 
with  but  one  thouj^ht  -the  rescue*  of  tin;  factor 
from  the  clutches  of  the  scoundiels  who  had  so 
foully  entrapped  him. 

With  a  stranL;e  sense  of  havinj;  in  some  way 
suddeidy  become  older  than  his  mother,  he  sought 
to  stay  her  wild  *;rief  and  comfort  her. 

••  Mother  dearest,"  said  he  teiuhMly,  "  don't  be 
so  dreadfully  distressed.  \V»  will  ;;o  after  the 
rufTians,  and  take  father  from  them." 

Mrs.  McKenzic  checked  her  sobs,  and  j^azcd 
eap^crly  into  her  son's  face. 

O,  Archie  darlin^M  will  you  .^     Oh!  hurry  — 


i< 


hurry  — hurry  —  before  they  j.^t-'t  too  far. 


Th 


en 


she  a( 


Idcd 


«< 


Hut   no,   Archie  ;  you   mustn't  f^o. 


I  can't  let  you  go.     They  may  take  you,  too,  and 


2^8 


AlUniU    OV    AlllAnASt  A. 


\\\c\\  \'\\  lose  ln>th  inv  luisl>;\n«l  ;\n«l  son  ;"  i\\u\  ihv 
poor  woman  ^;avo  way  to  anolluM  ontl)nmt  ol 
Nvoi'pin};. 

*•  Not  a  \M  of  it,  tnotbrr,**  ai\swtMrtl  AHln<' 
stiMUlv.  "i>nro  I  tatvh  np  to  tluMn  I'll  soon  \r{ 
thoin  knt>\v  what  tlioy'vr  j;ot  to  »lo.  No  trar  o( 
tlu'in  r,v^ttinv;  hoKl  ol  nu'  ;  **  awA  hitlilin*^  hoi  try  in 
voniposv"  hvMsoll,  \\c  \\.\Ac\\ck\  out  to  n\alv«'  H\uly 
tor  tlu*  pvnsnit. 

To  his  aniar(Mn(*nt  anJ  an|;or  he*  lo  -nd  hini 
solt  opposvil  at  tlu'  voiy  ontst't  hy  tho  man  In 
\vht>ni  ho  natinally  lt>t>kiNl  1«m  tho  nmst  hilp 
Tills  was  Mvdillyiay,  tho  jninor  oioik,  tho  only 
ono  i^t  tho  t>lVuMals  lott  at  tho  toil.  SUwait  haying 
i;ono  o\\  with  a  oooplo  oi  In«lians  lor  a  lt*\v  days* 
ilcor  liuntMii;  tho  day  aitoi  Mi.  MoKon/ii*'s  rot  inn, 
a  oiioiimstanoo,  by  tho  way,  n»>t  unknown  at  l*'ort 
Woddorhio  no.  wlioso  spios  liatl  kopt  oloso  watch 
oyor  tho  rival  ostahlishmont 

AtcCiillvrav  sv'oiit od   tho  itloa  ol   foll«>wini:  alter 


tai 


IvC 


^!v•^oul;al.  It  woiil»I  ho  iinpossihlo  to  ovoi 
tho  party,  aiul  ovon  it  thoy  did  thoy  would  only 
bo  puttinc  thonisolvos  in  tho  way  of  thoir  bnllots. 
Ni>,  indood  ;  lio  was  not  i;oing  to  be  a  party  to  any 
suoh  tidily  as  that. 

nisi;ustod    aiul    onrai;cd    at    tho    man's    oanny 
cowardioo.  Aivhio  nishod  off  to  Akaitohko's  lodiro 


.->'■» 


anvl.  as  ho  oxpootCil,  found  the  olil  man  smoking 
his  mornin«;  pipe.  Hroathlcssly  ho  told  his  story, 
and  '  ory  dittcront  was  its  roooption.     T'lc  moment 


Al((  nil'     in    INK    lU'Sf  IfK 


f?i} 


(I 


lu'  l(M»k  ill  thr  lH^y^^  mc.niiii^,  tlin  ^r;mfl  old  liwli;iii 
hiM  iimr  Ihc  iiu  ;ii  itatinti  of  ;iv<'H(;in;'.  wiath.  I  line 
w^H  not  ;i  <lio|»  ol  MimmI  in  liiq  lir.nl  llt.it  lir  w.in 
not  rrndy  to  Hhrd  lot  lii.q  liicnd  ',\\\\\  hcncfiK  toi  of 
so  m;my  y<MiH.  No  ln'tliM  ;dly  ronM  Afcliie  li;ivc 
drsiicvl.  I  Inn  y in;;  t  liion^h  tlir  foil,  they  {^',at  licrnd 
tin'  iinMi  tojM'tlnM  mid  rxpl.iinrd  to  llicni  what  harj 
liapiKMnMl,  and  vvlial  lliry  |no|>oHrd  lo  do  At  (ir^l 
lluMc  was  soinr  dcmiii,  and  IVI<  ( iillvray,  mMirt  ly 
ashaincil  of  ins  own  <owaidi<c,  Hoii;dit  to  ( over  it 
l>y  |)(Msnadin^  the  otln*rs  to  ,\\\\rv  with  liini  I'lit 
no  Hoonn  had  ho  spoken  than  Ak  hir  rnshrrj  fiiri 
nsly  at  him,  and  i'at(hin;;  hnn  hy  the.  thiriat 
(lied  : 

•'Say  another  word  and  F'll  slian<;le  yon." 

M(  (lillviay  shook  hini  off  and  sinnk  away,  for 
his  ey(*s  at  that  sain<' moincfit  (  anjdit  Akait(  hko'.s, 
and  thcic  was  a  look  in  the  Intlian's  that  sent  a 
shiver  to  his  eiaven  heart. 

Then  Archie  appealerl  to  th(!  men  attain  with 
plcadin;^  passionate  words,  while  Akait(hko  snp- 
p()rl(!d  him  with  [gestures  of  infections  sympathy. 
Snch  intensity  of  fi!<!lin;;  was  irresistible.  The 
lire  went  from  heart  to  heart.  I'ear,  prndcncc, 
indolence,  melted  away  like  tow  before  it,  anrl  in 
a  few  moments  every  man  in  the  crowd  was  ready 
to  start  at  once*. 

There  were  twenty  men  all  told  at  the  fort,  and 
of  these  Archie  selected  the  twelve  who  were  most 
skillful  with  the  paddle  and  gun.     Then  all  set  to 


230 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


work  with  a  will  to  make  ready.  Arms,  ammuni- 
tion, buffalo  robes  and  provisiop.s  wcM'e  gathered 
toircthor.  In  a  sore  strait  betwixt  fear  lest  Archie 
also  shoidd  be  taken  from  her,  and  hope  that 
he  mii;lit  be  able  to  rescue  his  father,  Mrs.  Mc- 
Kcnzie  looked  h.elplessly  on  while  Rose-Marie 
bustled  ab./.it  aiding  her  brother  to  the  best  of 
her  ability. 

Within  two  hours  after  his  return  from  fort 
VVcKlcrburne,  Archie  marshaled  his  little  force, 
and  ti'king  the  three  best  canoes  in  the  fort,  they 
hastened  to  the  lake.  No  time  was  lost  in  launch- 
ing" and  getting  off,  and  once  afloat  the  paddlers 
put  all  their  strength  into  their  work  as  they  sent 
their  liq;ht  craft  skimminjr  ovci  the  water  now 
rippled  by  a  faint  morning  breeze. 

Standing  at  the  gate  of  Fort  Wedoerburne,  and 
watching  these  proceedings,  was  the  man  who  had 
been  sent  for  Mr.  McKenzie,  an  expression  of 
mingled  surprise  and  concern  marking  his  unpre- 
possessing face.  Giving  vent  to  a  volley  of  oaths 
he  exclaimed  : 

"  Ho  !  ho  !  Is  that  wl  it  they're  about  ?  Going 
to  try  and  run  McDougal  down.  There'll  be 
bloody  work  if  they  do.  But  who  can  be  at 
their  head  ?  Wentzel  and  Stewart  are  away,  and 
McGillvray  is  afraid  of  his  own  shadow,  accord- 
ing to  all  accounts.  Surely  it  can't  be  the  young 
cub  ?     Though  he's  a  chip  of  the  old  block,  they 


say 


»» 


ARCIIIK    TO    THE    RESCUE. 


231 


And  back  into  the  fort  he  went  to  question 
some  of  the  others,  while  the  three  canoes  grew 
smaller  and  smaller  in  the  distance,  until  at  last 
they  disappeared  altogether,  the  pursuit  that 
McDougal  thought  out  of  the  question  being  well 
begun,  notwithstanding. 


ciiArTi:u  xvH. 


Tlir.    INP    OF     Mil. IS    MrPOUC.AT.. 


T 


\\K  sun  bad  reached  its  zciiitli  crc  the  piir- 
suiuLi  party  touched  the  sontliern  hnrdrr 
of  the  lake,  and  one  of  the  first  thinj;s  which 
caught  the  keen  eve  of  Akaitchko  as  he  leaped 
ashore,  was  the  little  heap  of  gray  ashes  which 
told  of  a  lire  not  many  lunns  extinguished. 

*'  Aha  !  "   iic  exclaimed,  darting-  forward  and  tak- 

"  We 
arc  not  far  hehinil  'em.     This  their  fire,  made  last 


ing   rp   some   of    the    ashes   in   his  hands. 


n 


iiiht.      Thev  no  wav,  one  —  two  —  three,  four 


five 


SIX 


ho 


urs. 


W 


e   c 


atch 


em 


bimeb) 


:.  certain 


sure:"  and  there  came  the  look  of  fierce  joy  into 
the  old  man's  face  that  boded  ill  for  *'  *em  "  when 
they  should  be  caught. 

He  had  an  account  to  settle  with  the  factor  of 
Fort  Wedderburne.  That  cruel  stripe  upon  Sawt- 
loulai's  shoulder  had  cut  even  deej>cr  into  the 
father's  heart,  and  the  memory  of  it  was  as  fresh 
as  though  it  had  been  inflicted  yesterday.     With 


212 


THE    KNI)    OF    MFF.KS    M(  DOlHiAL. 


233 


no  cheap  or  partial  rcvcnj^c  would  he  he  content. 
Althou<;h  he  kept  it  to  himself,  it  was  his  piirfM/se, 
full  and  fixed,  to  put  it  out  of  MrDouf^al's  power 
ever  to  injure  Mr.  McKen/.ie  or  himself  a^;iiM. 

Archie  w.is  j;reatly  cheered  hy  the  evidence 
that  his  father's  captors  were  not  many  hours 
ahead,  and  his  men  sltared  in  his  hopeful  spirit, 

"'I'hey  can't  j;o  as  fast  as  we  can,"  said  he  to 
them.  "  We've  <;ot  the  hest  canoes  on  the  lake, 
and  we're  hound  to  overtake  them  l)eff)re  lon^,  and 
then  they'd  better  look  out  for  themselves;"  and 
his  eyes  (lashed,  and  he  felt  within  him  the  same 
spirit  of  revcnj;e  that  possessed  Akailchko. 

All  lhrouj;h  the  afternoon  they  paddled  steaddy, 
Akaitchko,  in  the  bow  of  the  leading;  canoe,  stecr- 
inj;  a  course  that  cleverly  avoided  the  full  force 
of  the  current  and  took  advanta^^e  of  every  eddy 
and  backwater.  Althouf;h  the  river  ran  swiftly 
onward  toward  the  lake,  there  were  no  portages 
to  pass,  as  the  banks  were  low,  and  the  depth  of 
water  sufficient  for  much  larpjer  craft  than  canoes. 
A  careful  lookout  was  maintained  lest  McDouj^al 
might  have  been  stopped  by  some  accident,  and 
they  should  come  too  suddenly  upon  him.  In- 
deed, the  greater  part  of  the  time,  one  of  the  men 
ran  along  the  bank  in  advance  of  the  crews  and 
made  sure  that  the  coast  was  clear. 

Up  to  midday  the  weather  was  fine,  but  during 
the  afternoon  the  clouds  gathered  ominously,  and 
the  wind  blew  from  the  east  with  a  freshening  chill 


234 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


in  its  breath.  Akaitchko  did  not  like  the  look  of 
things.  "  Ugh  !  "  he  grunted,  giving  his  shoul- 
ders an  expressive  shrug.  "  Storm  coming.  Bad 
for  us.  Make  hard  work,  but  never  mind  ;  not 
stop  us,  certain  sure." 

The  rain  began  to  fall  before  dark,  and  it  was 
only  after  much  difficulty  that  they  succeeded  in 
lighting  a  fire  which  soon  sputtered  out  again. 
Then  without  any  other  protection  than  that  af- 
forded by  the  trees,  the  tired  men  curled  up  in 
their  buffalo  robes  to  try  and  forget  their  discom- 
forts in  sleep. 

The  next  day  was  dreary  beyond  description. 
The  rain  fell  without  cessation  from  dawn  until 
dark.  The  wind  blew  in  fitful  gusts,  sometimes 
dashing  the  drops  violently  into  the  paddlers' 
faces,  and  sometimes  dropping  almost  to  a  calm. 
Everybody  got  wet  to  the  skin,  and  the  utmost 
care  had  to  be  taken  to  prevent  the  ammunition 
and  provisions  from  being  ruined  by  the  water  iliat 
was  everywhere.  One  after  another  of  the  men 
began  to  lose  spirit,  and  their  paddling  lacked  that 
spring  and  vigor  which  had  marked  it  the  day  be- 
fore. When  they  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the 
day  to  rest  and  appease  their  hunger  by  gnawing 
at  the  cold  dried  meat,  for  to  light  a  fire  seemed 
out  of  the  question,  there  were  some  that  grumbled 
a  little,  taking  good  care,  however,  that  Archie 
did  not  overhear  them,  for  they  knew  well  enough 
what  answer  he  would  make. 


THE   END   OF    MILES    MCDOUGAL. 


235 


look  of 
,  shoul- 
;.  Bad 
id  ;  not 


i  it  was 
;eded  in 
t  again, 
that  af- 
id  up  in 
•  discom- 

scription. 
Lwn  until 
ometimes 
paddlers' 
a  calm, 
e  utmost 
munition 
ater  iliat 
the  men 
icked  that 
e  day  be- 
e  of  the 
gnawing 
seemed 
Igrumbled 
t  Archie 
111  enough 


i 


During  the  afternoon,  as  the  pitiless  rain  came 
pelting,  coldly  down,  making  it  necessary  to  land 
more  than  once  in  order  to  empty  out  the  canoes, 
the  men  became  still  more  discouraged,  and  by 
nightfall  there  was  not  one  of  them  that  would 
not  have  eagerly  jumped  at  the  suggestion  to  give 
up  the  pursuit  and  return  to  Fort  Chipewyan. 
This  state  of  feeling  was  not  altogether  due  to 
the  depressing  effect  of  the  weather.  After  the 
first  flush  of  enthusiasm  had  passed,  and  the  con- 
tagion of  Archie's  fervor  spent  itself,  they  nat- 
urally began  to  turn  over  in  their  minds  the 
probabilities  of  their  mission. 

They  had  no  definite  knowledge  of  the  number 
of  McDougal's  party.  So  far  as  they  could  judge 
it  was  no  larger  than  their  own.  But  of  this  they 
were  not  certain.  Then  they  all  knew  him  to  be 
a  brutal,  reckless  character  who  would  have  no 
scruples  about  shedding  blood  if  driven  into  a 
corner ;  and  although  they  were  all  brave  enough 
as  hunters  of  wild  beasts,  they  had  never  acted  as 
hunters  of  men  before,  and  with  the  exception  of 
Akaitchko  they  all  shrank  from  the  idea  of  a  hand- 
to-hand  struggle.  Finally  they  felt  the  absence 
of  their  accustomed  leader,  Mr.  McKenzie.  Had 
he  been  present  to  cheer  them  by  his  genial  smile, 
to  inspire  them  with  his  own  serene  courage,  to 
set  them  an  example  of  exhaustless  resource  and 
unmurmuring  patience,  none  of  the  influences  in- 
dicated would  have  had  much  weight  with  them. 


2^6 


AUCIIIF.    OF    ATIIAHASCA. 


\h\{  in^tonil  o\  tlic  factor,  tlioy  h.u\  only  ihc  son, 
a  moro  vmitli,  after  all  ;  and  liowcvor  tiilly  (luy 
!nii;lit  svinpatlii70  with  his  passinnatr  inipatirm c 
to  irsrno  his  fathrr,  atul  adniiio  his  wondnfnl  ru 
rndmanro  and  (|iionrhU:ss  ardor,  they  (oidd  im.' 
hrlp  fooliii*;  the  lack  of  a  stroni;ci  h.nid  and  a 
wiser  hr.un  lo  control  and  direct  thcni. 

Al<aitchU»>'s  pcnctratin*;  j;lancc  soon  t«M)k  in  the 
situation  of  allaiis,  and  at  the  first  oppoilnnity  he 
drew    Aichic    aside    to    make    it    known    lo    liim 
Archie  was   at    first    <lis|>osed    to    he    incrcdnlons. 
He  thoii*;ht   perhaps  the   Indian  wis  a   little  offi 
cions  or  anxious  to  make  himself  out  the  only  failh 
fid  one.      Then  as  he  looke^l  more  closely  into  the 
earnest,   hi'niest   face,   he  felt   ashamed   of   himself 
for  entertaining;  such  a  suspicion,  and  grew  so  in- 
dij;nant  with  the  men  that  he  wanted  to  call  them 
toj;ether    at   once  and   give  vent    to  his   feelin«;s. 
l^ut  the  shrewd  oKl  man  restrained  him: 

"  No.  no."  said  he,  shaking  his  head  decidedly. 


••  Vou  not  speak  first.  You  not  see  anything. 
lust  go  right  on.  Himeby  they  speak  to  you. 
Den  vou  speak  to  'em  ;  and  that  better."  IVrceiv- 
ingj  the  wisdom  of  this  suggestion,  Archie  gave  no 


dlhongh  he      j 


hint  of  knowing  his  men  s  feelings.  aUhoii''h 
found  it  no  easy  task  to  conceal  the  anxiety  as  to 
them  which  was  now  added  to  his  worry  concerning 
his  father,  l^ut  when  the  following  dav  l)r(d<e  upon 
the  same  dreary,  distressing  state  of  things,  he 
found  it  hard  to  resist  saying  something  to  them  as 


Tiir  KNi)  ov  Mii.Ks  m(:i)()U(;al. 


237 


10  son, 
y  llu'y 
atinur 
ifnl  <  11 
nM  in'» 
aiul  ;i 

U  in  tlir 

niity  lu' 

to    liiin 

iMlnloiis. 

\{]c  oiVi 

i)lv  f.iitli 
into  tlio 

I   himscU 

o\v  so  in- 
all  Ihrm 
(cclini;s. 

locidodly. 
imytliin}:. 
lo    vnu. 
l\  rcciv- 
lo  };avc  no 
honi;h  he 
jrty  as  to 
|>nccrnin}: 
oko  upon 
lhin;.',s,  be 
o  lluMii  as 


llicy  made  prrpnrationR  for  the  start  in  a  very  sh>\v, 
(Hspirilcd  niannor.  I'hry  dearly  had  no  longer 
any  heart  in  the  tnatter,  although  happily  they  were 
not  yet  leadv  lo<;ive  open  expression  to  their  fccl- 
inj;s.  Ihit  there  was  s.id  fallin;;  off  in  their  rate 
of  pro<;rrss,  and  Ar(  hie  fretted  and  fntned  as  the 
eanoes  pirdied  their  way  all  too  sh)wly  against  the 
strenni,  aheady  swfdhii  hy  the  heavy  rains. 

In  the  meant ifne,  Mc  Don^al  and  his  party  harl 
heen  aetnally  inere.isin^  the  dist.mee  hetween 
thejnselves  and  their  pnrsuers.  The  eas(;  was 
very  different  with  them.  They  had  a  (h)ul)lc 
reason  for  keepinj;  up  the  hij^hest  pf)ssil)lc  speed. 
They  (hsired  to  ^;el  altoj;ellier  out  of  reach  of 
pursuit,  and  they  were  anxious  to  reach  Lake  La- 
crosse hefiue  the  frost  should  come,  and  compel 
them  to  al)an(h)n  their  canoes  and  take  to  travel- 
ing; on  foot.  Mr.  McKen/.ie  [;ave  them  no  trouhlc, 
whatever.  I  fc  was  unarmed,  and  pinioned.  They 
were  well  armed,  and   imfettered.     lie  could  f;ain 


nothing;  '  y  allemptin 


if 


to  1 


)reak  awa 


II 


IS  on 


ly 


chance  was  to  try  and  lull  them  into  carelessness 
hy  seemin;;  to  he  resi«;ned  to  his  fate.  lie  main- 
tained, a  dij^nifieil  silenc  e,  save  when  directly  ad- 
dressed, and  then  replied  with  j;rave  courtesy.  I  Ic 
made  no  effort  to  conciliate  any  of  his  alxhictors. 
If  he  did  succeed  in  effectiu';  his  escape  it  would 
not  he  hy  persuading  one  of  them  to  hctray  his 
trust.  Two  causes  of  hope  that  he  cherished  in 
his    trying  situation  were,  that  pursuit  would  be 


238 


ARCHIE  OF    ATHABASCA. 


made  from  the  fort,  or  that  Mr.  Wentzcl  mij;ht  he 
met,  and  Mr  McDougal  compelled  to  surrender 
up  his  prisoner.  They  must  encounter  him  if  he 
were  on  his  way  back  to  Athabasca,  and  any  liour 
migiit  brinj;  him  into  si«;ht,  althou«;h  no  doubt 
McDougal  would  do  his  best  to  avoid  him. 

So  intensely  was  his  mind  occupied  with  thouj;hts 
of  escape  or  rescue  that  the  added  discomfort  of 
the  rain  made  little  impression  upon  him.  Mc- 
Dou«;al  swore  at  it  with  his  accustomed  vehemence, 
and  the  other  men  <;rumbled  ;  but  the  factor  held 
his  peace.  In  his  far-seeing  sagacity  he  recognized 
in  the  rain  a  friend  rather  tlian  a  foe.  Vov  so  weary 
and  uncomfortable  diil  the  men  feci  by  nightfall 
that  the  task  of  keeping  guard  had  its  dinruulties 
greatly  enhanced,  and  the  chances  of  the  sentry 
for  the  time  being  relaxing  his  vigilance  and  indulg- 
ing in  a  nap,  were  thereby  so  much  increased. 

The  third  day  came,  and  with  it  the  rain,  now 
showing  signs  of  sleet.  The  men  of  Archie's 
party  could  stand  it  no  longer,  and  when  he  gave 
orders  to  start  they  all  hung  back;  and  finally  one 
of  them  .\in  Hapliste  Cadotte,  a  bright,  good- 
natured  ilf-breed,  and  next  to  Akaitchko  the 
best  muu  in  the  party,  plucked  up  courage  to 
speak  for  his  companions  and  himself. 

*'  Archie,"  he  said,  respectfully  enough,  "  we 
want  to  go  back.  We  no  catch  up  to  Mr.  McDou- 
gal.  He  go  quicker  than  we.  No  use  to  follow 
any  farther." 


THK    KNI)   OF    MILES    MCDOUflAL. 


239 


;ht  be 
cndcr 

if  he 
y'  liour 

doubt 

ouj;bts 
(oit  of 
I.  Mc- 
mcnce, 
or  bcUl 
o«;nized 

0  weary 
li-btfall 
TicuUics 

1  sentry 
I  indulg- 
ied. 

lin,  now 
^rehie's 
he  gave 
ally  one 
t,  sood- 
ihko  the 
Inagc   to 

rb,  "we 

McDou- 

[o  follow 


ii 


Archie  felt  that  the  crisis  had  come,  and  that 
cverytliinj;  depended  upon  what  he  should  say, 
and  liow  lie  should  say  it.  Akaitchko  stood  near 
him,  scowIIul;  furiously,  and  seeniinj;  quite  ready 
to  slay  Cadotte  on  the  spot.  lUit  Archie  was  too 
shrewd  to  think  of  trying  threats.  He  was  com- 
pletely in  the  hands  of  the  men.  He  must  appeal 
to  their  sympathies,  not  to  their  fears. 

Anci  so,  with  the  tears  standing  in  his  eyes,  he 
pleaded  with  them  not  to  turn  back.  He  reminded 
them  of  all  his  father's  kindness,  of  the  fair  and 
liberal  way  in  which  he  had  abviys  dealt  with  his 
employes,  of  his  unvarying  goodness  to  the  Indians. 
Me  assured  them  that  his  mother's  heart  would 
break  if  they  returned  without  the  factor,  and 
wound  up  by  declaring  that  if  they  would  not  go 
on,  Akaitchko  and  he  would,  in  the  desperate  hope 
of  being  able  to  rescue  Mr.  McKenzic  somehow, 
for  give  up  the  pursuit,  they  would  not. 

The  men  listened  with  kindling  glances.  Their 
hearts  were  touched  as  at  the  first.  They  could 
not  be  callous  to  such  an  appeal.  And  then,  just 
as  he  finished  speaking,  as  though  the  heavens 
would  respond  to  his  passionate  words,  the  sleet 
suddenly  cea.sed,  the  wind  veered  round  to  the 
south,  and  a  rift  in  the  western  clouds  appeared, 
which  gave  promise  of  a  speedy  clear-up. 

Akaitchko,  quivering  with  excitement,  ex- 
claimed, "  Look,  look  !  rain  all  gone,"  and  pointed 
to  the  harbinger  of  fine  weather. 


240 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


"  Hurrah  !  "  cried  Archie  exultantly.  **  It's  go- 
ing to  clear  up.  No  turning  back  now.  Come, 
fellows,  iCt's  make  up  for  lost  time.'' 

The  last  trace  of  opposition  disappeared  before 
his  impetuous  urging.  Like  one  man  the  hardy 
voyagcurs  sprang  to  their  work.  The  dark  look 
left  Akaitchko's  face,  and  in  a  wondrously  short 
space  of  time,  the  canoes  were  afloat  and  cutting 
through  the  water  at  a  rate  that  made  Archie's 
heart  glad. 

Hy  midday  they  reached  the  place  where  the 
Wash-a  Common,  or  Clearwater,  and  la  Hiche 
Rivers  unite  to  form  the  Athabasca  or  Elk  River, 
up  which  they  had  been  making  their  way,  and 
without  hesitation  Akaitchko  turned  into  the 
Clearwater,  for  McDougal  was  certain  to  have 
taken  that  route,  as  it  led  most  directly  on  to 
Lake  Lacrosse.  So  excellent  had  been  their 
progress  that  they  might  expect  to  make  the  Cas- 
cade Portage  before  dark,  and  there  they  ought  to 
find  some  trace  of  the  men  they  were  pursuing. 

The  Clearwater  was  a  very  different  stream 
from  the  Athabasca.  Its  course  lay  in  a  valley 
between  hills  rising  to  the  height  of  a  thousand 
feet.  Its  current  ran  deep  and  swift,  and  both 
pole  and  paddle  had  to  be  used  to  make  headway 
against  it.  But  the  day  was  bright  and  cold,  and 
the  men  worked  with  a  will,  having  promised  Archie 
that  they  would  not  say  another  word  about  turn- 
ing back  until  they  got  to  Methye  Lake,  at  all 


I 

1 

's  go-           1 

Come,           ^ 

before 

hardy 

k  loo!; 

r  short 

:utting 

rchie*s 

re  the          ^ 

Hlche          1 

River,          | 

ly,  and          W 

to    the         1 

0   have 

on    to 

1   their 

he  Cas-         d 

iip;ht  to         i 

uing.            1 

stream        1 

,  valley        ■ 

lousand 

id  both 

eadway        ^^ 

3ld,  and 

Archie 

Lit  turn- 

;,  at  all 

fllE    END    OF    MILES    MCDOUGAL. 


241 


events,  and  in  the  meantime  would  do  their  level 
best  to  overtake  McDougal. 

By  dint  of  persistent  effort,  Cascade  Portage 
was  gained  an  hour  before  dark,  and  leaping 
eagerly  ashore  Akaitchko  hunted  about  for  the 
tracks  of  the  Hudson's  Hays.  He  had  not  long  to 
look.  The  mark  of  moccasined  feet  was  plainly 
to  be  seen  in  the  soft  sand  of  the  landing,  and 
having  examined  them  car:fully,  the  old  Indian 
gave  an  exulting  grunt,  and  announced  with  smil- 
ing face  that  the  trail  was  but  a  few  hours  old, 
and  that  in  view  of  the  difficulties  McDougal 
could  not  be  many  miles  ahead,  for  the  rest  of  the 
way  to  Mclhye  Lake  was  a  succession  of  portages 
—  Pine  Portage,  Mud  Portage  and  others  —  over 
which  progress  must  be  exceedingly  slow. 

While  he  was  explaining  this,  an  idea  came  to 
Archie  that  made  his  heart  leap  within  him.  Why 
could  they  not  leave  their  canoes  and  proceed  on 
foot  ?  They  would  get  ahead  twice  as  fast,  and 
moreover  could  keep  on  all  night  instead  of  hav- 
ing to  stop  as  .soon  as  it  was  dark.  If  the  Hudson's 
Hays  were  only  a  few  hours  ahead,  they  could  not 
fail  to  overtake  them. 

The  moment  he  broached  his  scheme,  Akaitchko 
indorsed  it  warmly,  and  the  other  men,  weary  of 
canoeing,  and  glad  to  escape  the  additional  labor 
of  portaging,  joined  in  heartily. 

**  O,  you  splendid  fellows  !  "  exclaimed  Archie, 
tears  of  joy  and  gratitude  brimming  his  eyes  as  he 


242 


ARCHIE   OF   ATHABASCA. 


beamed  upon  his  supporters.  "  Won't  father  be 
proud  of  you  wh^^n  I  tell  him  how  brave  and  good 
you've  been  !  ''.ome  along,  then,  and  let's  get  as 
far  as  we  c^ui  jefore  dark,  and  then  we'll  take  a 
rest,  and  start  again  when  the  moon  rises." 

With  great  alacrity  the  men  put  the  canoe  in  a 
safe  place,  made  up  a  good  supply  of  ammunition 
and  provisions,  and  then  falling  into  Indian  file, 
with  Akaitchko  *  the'  h^ad,  set  along  the  port- 
age path,  feeling  u  a  ]j,  ^or  McDougal  or  anybody 
else  on  equal  term.  1  ,»ey  kept  up  a  rapid  walk 
until  night-fall,  and  then  Lalted  for  a  brief  rest 
and  a  bit  of  supper.  A  good  fire  was  made, 
plenty  of  meat  broiled  before  it,  big  bumpers  of 
hot  tea  absorbed,  and  then  the  pipes  were  lit  and 
they  gave  themselves  up  to  silent  enjoyment  of 
the  fragrant  weed.  By  the  end  of  a  couple  of 
hours,  they  were  well  rested,  and  in  the  best 
of  spirits.  Archie  was  not  afraid  to  ask  any- 
thing of  them  now. 

It  was  almost  seven  o'clock  when  the  moon 
peeping  over  the  edge  of  the  western  range  of 
hills  gave  the  signal  to  start.  Each  man  saw  to  it 
that  his  gun  was  duly  loaded  and  capped,  that  his 
powder-horn  hung  ready  to  hand,  that  knife  and 
hatchet  were  in  their  place,  and  then  tightening 
up  their  belts,  and  pulling  their  caps  down  firmly 
on  their  heads,  they  took  their  places  in  line  be- 
hind the  old  Indian  and  resumed  their  rapid  walk. 
Unless  their  leader  had  miscalculated  they  should 


MM 


THE   END    OF    MILES    MCDOUGAL. 


243 


her  be 
d  good 
get  as 
take  a 

loe  in  a 
unition 
ian  file, 
le  port- 
inybody 
)id  walk 
rief  rest 
5   made, 
npers  of 
2  lit  and 
ment  of 
Duple  of 
he   best 
isk  any- 


le  moon 
tige  of 

Isaw  to  it 
that  his 

Inife  and 
htening 
n  firmly 
line  he- 
ld walk. 
y  should 


come  upon  the  Hudson's  Bay  camp  before  mid- 
night, and  then  — 

Hardly  a  word  did  they  speak  as  they  pushed 
their  way  onward,  up  hill  and  down  hill,  through 
dense  underbrush  and  over  lichen-covered  bowlders, 
slipping  and  stumbling  often  where  the  shadows 
were  black,  splashing  into  hidden  pools  of  icy 
water  left  by  the  recent  rain,  but  heeding  no  dis- 
comfort or  obstacle  as,  keeping  the  river  on  their 
right,  they  followed  its  crooked,  troubled  course. 

Wherever  he  got  the  opportunity,  Akaitchko 
took  a  long  look  ahead,  in  hopes  of  discover  ^ 
McDougal's  camp  fire,  and  at  length,  after  t 'ey 
had  been  iramping  ior  full  four  hours,  he  cr  ■  j^^h*" 
a  flash  of  firelight  from  a  hollow  not  more  than  a 
mile  away. 

*'  Ugh  !  "  he  grunted  triumphantly.  "  Me  see 
'em.     Right  near.     Catch  'em  soon." 

**  Where  }  where  ?  "  exclaimed  Archie,  all  in  a 
tremble.     "  Show  me,  quick  !  " 

Akaitchko  pointed  with  his  forefinger  to  where 
the  darkness  was  broken  by  fitful  flashes  that  told 
of  an  expiring  fire. 

**  There  they  are.     Certain  sure." 

One  look  was  enough  for  Archie.  Touching 
the  Indian's  arm  he  cried  : 

•'  Hurry,  hurry  !  let  us  get  to  them  at  once." 
But  Akaitchko  did  not  move. 

"  No  —  no  ;  Archie  mustn't  hurry.  Must  be 
very  careful  now." 


24>I 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


Then  as  the  men  gathered  eagerly  about,  he 
gave  directions  for  the  order  of  attack.  Keeping 
close  together,  they  should  steal  quietly  up  to 
within  fi^ty  yards  of  the  camp,  and  then  spread 
out  so  as  tc  surround  it.  With  beating  hearts  and 
throbbing  pulse  the  little  band  of  thirteen  crept 
stealthily  through  the  woods  toward  the  unsus- 
pecting objects  of  their  pursuit.  They  were  ex- 
perts at  stalking,  and  knew  how  to  move  as 
silently  as  lynxes,  so  that  the  keenest  ear  could 
not  have  detected  them  at  the  distance  of  a  few 
yards.  Never  in  his  life  had  Archie  felt  such 
intense  excitement.  His  breath  came  short  and 
quick.  Every  nerve  and  muscle  in  his  body 
seemed  to  be  tingling  and  quivering.  It  was  well 
for  him  that  he  came  next  to  Akaitchko,  and  had 
the  example  of  the  old  Indian's  stolid  composure 
to  restrain  his  wild  impatience. 

Yard  by  yard  th&  thirteen  silent  figures  stole 
like  ghosts  upon  their  prey.  Each  man  held  hi? 
gun  in  his  hand  with  finger  upon  trigger.  There 
would  be  no  sparing  of  bullets  if  the  Hudson*s  Bays 
showed  fight.  Even  Archie  felt  no  misgivings  or 
qualms  of  conscience.  His  wonted  tenderness  of 
heart  had  been  submerged  beneath  an  overmaster- 
ing sense  of  unprovoked  injury  and  cruel  wrong 
thnt  swept  everything  before  it.  There  was  little 
difference  between  his  mood  and  Akaitchko's. 

At  length  the  camp  came  into  full  view.  Mc- 
Dougal   had   halted   beside  White   Mud   Portage, 


THE    END    OF    MILES    MCDOUGAL. 


245 


it,  he 

eping 

Lip   to 

ipread 

ts  and 
crept 

unsus- 

lYQ  ex- 

ove   as 

■  could 

:  a  few 

It   such 

ort  and 

s    body 

vas  well 
nd  had 
posure 

es  stole 
Iheld  hi? 
There 
n's  Bays 
livings  or 
rness  of 
rmaster- 
;1  wrong 
as  little 
iko's. 
w.     Mc- 
Portage, 


and  his  tired  men  had  lain  down  for  a  good  long 
rest,  he  himself  having  taken  the  first  watch. 
But  he  was  no  less  weary  than  they,  and  moreover 
he  had  been  rapidly  making  his  way  during  the 
past  two  days  to  the  bottom  of  a  keg  of  spirits, 
and  drunk  himself  into  a  muddled,  boozy  condition 
which  made  him  a  poor  sentinel.  His  prisoner, 
on  the  other  hand,  was  wide  awake,  sitting  with 
his  back  against  a  tree  trunk,  and  gazing  thought- 
fully into  the  flickering  fire.  When  Archie's  eyes 
first  fell  upon  him,  it  was  only  by  a  heroic  effort 
that  he  restrained  the  impulse  to  rush  forward  and 
cut  the  thongs  that  bound  him.  But  Akaitchko, 
as  though  divining  his  thoughts,  turned  round 
with  a  warning  gesture,  and  the  boy  became 
motionless  again.  Then  they  waited  for  what 
seemed  to  him  interminable  minutes,  while  the 
rest  of  their  party  encircled  the  unconscious 
sleepers  and  their  precious  prisoner. 

Presently  a  peculiar  note  like  the  distant  hoot 
of  an  owl  broke  the  silence.  It  came  from  directly 
behind  Mr.  McKenzie  and  was  repeated  on  either 
side  of  him.  He  looked  up  with  eager,  inquiring 
face,  and  made  as  though  he  would  spring  to  his 
feet,  but  McDougal  stirring  a  little,  he  restrained 
himself.  Once  more  the  owls  hooted.  This  time 
still  nearer  the  camp,  then  a  dark  form  might  have 
been  seen  crawling  motionless  toward  the  factor. 
It  came  close  to  him.  A  hand  holding  a  long 
knife  stretched  silently  past  him.     It  gave   two 


246 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


quick  cuts,  and  his  bonds  were  severed.  The  fac- 
tor was  free. 

Archie  could  control  himself  no  longer.  Spring- 
ing up  from  the  ground  he  shouted,  "  Here,  father, 
this  way,  quick  !  " 

It  was  a  natural  but  unwise  act.  His  shout 
and  the  factor's  quick  response  aroused  McDougal. 
With  a  horrible  oath  he  staggered  to  his  feet,  and 
raising  the  gun  he  had  been  holding  in  his  hand, 
took  aim  at  Mr.  McKenzie.  He  was  too  close  to 
miss  his  mark.  A  moment  more  and  his  bullet 
had  buried  itself  in  the  factor's  heart. 

But  that  moment  never  came  to  him.  Quick  as 
his  movements  were,  there  was  one  at  hand  still 
quicker.  The  instant  Archie  rose,  Akaitchko  had 
risen  also,  and  anticipating  what  would  happen, 
had  covered  McDougal  with  his  gun,  while  a  look 
of  awful  joy  illuminated  his  dusky  countenance. 

His  opportunity  had  come,  and  he  was  ready 
for  it.  Before  McDousjal's  finsrer  could  find  the 
trigger  the  crack  of  the  Indian's  musket  split  the 
still  air,  and  with  a  bullet  crashing  through  his 
brain,  the  factor  of  Fort  Wedderburne  plunged 
forward  upon  his  face  — stone  dead. 

The  report  of  the  gun  aroused  the  others,  and 
they  sprang  up  looking  fiercely  about  them.  But 
they  found  a  circle  of  deadly  muzzles  pointing 
at  their  heads,  and  their  arms  dropped  helplessly 
to  their  sides,  as  they  realized  that  resistance  was 
worse  than  useless. 


rhe  fac- 


Spring- 
I,  father, 

is  shout 
:Dougal. 
feet,  and 
lis  hand, 
close  to 
lis  bullet 

Quick  as 
land  still 
:chko  had 
happen, 
Ic  a  look 
nance, 
as   ready 
find  the 
split  the 
ugh   his 
plunged 

Ihers,  and 
Im.     But 

pointing 
lieiplessly 

ance  was 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

ARCHIE    REALIZES    HIS    DESIRES. 

PAUSING  for  an  instant  only  to  give  Archie  a 
fervent  embrace,  Mr.  McKenzie  at  once  took 
the  control  of  affairs. 

"Lay  down  your  guns!"  he  commanded,  and 
with  sullen  reluctance  the  Hudson's  Hays  complied. 

"  Put  your  knives  and  hatchets  with  them,"  was 
the  next  order.     This  too  was  done. 

"  Now,  then,  sit  right  down  where  you  are ;  and 
you,"  turning  to  his  own  men,  "  take  charge  of 
them,  and  put  a  bullet  into  the  first  man  that 
makes  a  move." 

The  Hudson's  Bays  did  as  they  were  bidden, 
and,  seating  themselves  in  a  little  group,  were 
surrounded  by  the  Nor* westers,  not  one  of  whom 
would  have  hesitated  a  moment  to  carry  out  the 
factor's  instructions  to  the  letter. 

Then  did  Mr.  McKenzie  feel  free  to  indulge  bis 
joy,  and  bidding  Akaitchko  heap  wood  upon  the 
fire,  he  drew  Archie  to  him  and  sat  down  to  biar 

•47 


248 


ARriUr.   OF    ATlIAHASrA. 


tlu*  story  of  his  roscnc.  Hoyond  all  expression 
was  the  delight  of  father  and  son  at  their  happy 
reiniion.  They  for«;ot  everytliiiii;  else  as  they  re- 
eounted  to  eaeh  other  the  details  of  their  diffeieiit 
experieiu'es.  and  nearly  an  hour  passed  in  this  way 
before  the  faetor  ha«l  thoiii;ht  for  other  matters. 
It  was  not  nntil  AUaitehko,  f;rowin.i;  inipatietit, 
pointed  to  l\KnonL;ars  body  and  asked:  "What 
do  with  tliat  ?  CiXihc  it?"  that  Mr.  MeKen/.ie, 
foelini;  half  ashamed  of  himself,  ^ot  up  and  went 
over  to  the  Wy<\v. 

••  Toor  wreteh  !  *'  ho  said  <;ently,  "The  death 
he  would  have  inflietcd  ui)on  others  has  eome  to 
himself.  May  C\0(\  have  merey  on  his  soul  !  We 
cannt>t  .i;ive  him  a  decent  Christian  burial  here, 
alth(m,i;h  he  should  have  it  if  it  eould  be  done. 
We   can    onlv  cacJic    his    body.     Here,  my  pood 

en.  a   eouple  of  you  carry  it  away  a  little  and 


m 


th 


e  morninj; 


cover  It  with  a   Iniltalo  skin,  and  in 
we  will  put  it  out  of  si,i;ht." 

There  was  not  much  sleep  for  either  Hudson's 
Rays  or  Nor' westers  that  nij;ht.  The  fire  was 
kept  in  full  blast,  and  all  p:«'^there(l  near  it  to  await 
the  comini;  of  day.  Mr.  McKenzie  expressed  his 
gratitude  to  each  member  of  the  rescuini;  ])arty  in 
turn,  and  priMiiised  them  the  best  rewards  in  his 
power  to  bestow.  They  had,  he  assured  them, 
placed  him  under  an  obli.q;ation  he  could  never 
adequately  repay,  and  would  certainly  never  forget. 

So  soon  as  daybreak,  preparations  were  made 


AKCIIIK    RKAMZI'.S    HIS    DI'SIKKS. 


249 


for  the  return.  The  body  of  M(  Doii^.il  was 
l)inic'(l  beneath  a  pile  of  stones  thai  would  defy 
even  a  earcajou.  His  men,  havini;  first  be<'n  de- 
prived of  all  their  jj;uns  but  oiu',  were  ordered  to 
eontiuue  on  soutiiward,  and  never  to  show  their 
faees  at  Aliiabasea  a.i^.iin,  if  they  valued  their 
lives  ;  and  tlu!n,  with  ;;l.i(l  heaits  and  joyous  son;;s, 
the  Noi 'westers  turned  their  f.iees  to  tlu,'  north. 

The  eanoes  were  found  as  they  liad  left  them, 
and  takinj;  up  the  paddles  the  |)arty  swept  swiftly 
down  stream,  with  nothin;:;  to  break  their  course 
until  they  reaehed  Lake  Alhabasea.  So  dili;^ently 
(lid  they  press  (uiward,  that  early  m  the  afternoon 
of  the  second  day  they  were  upon  the  bosom  of 
the  lake,  and  ere  the  ni^ht  fell,  sin;;iFi;;  one  of 
their  <;ayest  chttusous,  they  marv.hed  throui^h  the 
gate  of  I''ort  Chipewyan  to  be  w(!K()in(.'d  with 
shouts  of  delij^ht  and  blindin;^  tears  of  joy  from 
the  men  and  women  who  had  ^rown  ha;;;^ard  with 
harrowiu;;  anxiety  and  waitin;;. 

The  color  sooti  came  back  to  Mrs.  M«  Ken/Je's 
cheeks,  and  Rose-M.irie's  merry  son;;s  trilled 
through  the  factor's  house  all  the  uioie  bri,i;htly 
because  of  its  silence  during  the  days  of  aL;oni/jnj^ 
uncertainty. 

'•  And  now,  father,"  said  Archie,  with  a  confident 
smiK.as  the  four  were  talkin;^  to,i;elher  late  on 
into  the  ni^ht,  too  happy  to  think  of  their  beds, 
"there's  nothing  to  prevent  us  ;;oin;;  to  Montreal, 
is  there  }     McDou;ral  will  never  trouble  us  a;:ain. 


250 


ARCHIE   OF    ATHABASCA. 


and  it*s  not  likely  any  of  his  ruffians  will  care  to 
come  back.  The  way  is  as  clear  as  you  could 
wish." 

"  It  certainly  is,  so  far  as  going  to  Fort  William 
is  concerned,  laddie,"  answered  the  factor.  "  But 
as  to  Montreal  that  will  depend  upon  how  I  ar- 
range at  Fort  William.  If  the  head  partners  are 
agreeable  to  giving  me  long  enough  leave,  I'll  be 
right  glad  to  go  on  to  Montreal.  But  it's  for 
them  to  say,  not  for  me.  I'm  only  a  servant,  you 
know." 

"  But  Donald,"  interposed  Mrs.  McKenzie,  '*you 
expect  them  to  make  you  a  partner  next  summer, 
don't  you  .? " 

"  I  have  very  good  hopes  of  it,  Virginie,"  re- 
plied the  factor.  •*  I^ut  I  would  not  like  to  set  my 
heart  too  strongly  upon  it,  dear. 

"  •  The  best  laid  schemes  of  mice  and  men 
Gang  aft  agley/ 

as  Robbie  Burns  says  so  truly.  However,  we'll 
leave  it  all  in  the  hands  of  Providence.  I've 
always  tried  to  do  the  best  I  could  for  the  com- 
pany, as  the  Montreal  partners  know  well ;  I  much 
doubt  if  any  other  post  has  sent  in  as  many  pack.s 
of  good  furs  (luring  the  last  twenty  years  as  Chip- 
ewyan,  so  let  us  hope  everything  will  turn  out  as 
we  wish." 

A  few  days  after  the  triumphant  return  of  the 
rescued   factor,   the   long-looked-for  Mr.  Wcntzel 


ARCHIE    REALIZES    HIS    DESIRES. 


251 


e  to 
:ould 

Hi  am 
"  But 
I  ar- 
rs  are 
['U  be 
's  for 
it,  you 

,  ♦•  you 
immer, 

ie."  re- 
set my 


r,  we'll 

.     I've 

le  com- 

1  much 

y  packs 
s  Chip- 

out  as 

of  the 

/y^cntzel 

made  his  appearance,  just  in  time  to  escape  the 
frost  which  the  very  day  of  his  arrival  set  in 
with  such  severit}^  that  within  twenty-four  hours 
traveling  by  canoe  was  rendered  impossible.  A 
succession  of  provoking  mishaps  had  delayed  him 
beyond  all  his  calculations,  but  happily,  by  dint  of 
dogged  persistence  and  untiring  ingenuity,  he  had 
come  through  with  a  ve»*y  slight  loss  of  stores, 
and  had  brought  in  a  supply  of  flour,  tea,  tobacco, 
ammunition,  goods,  and  some  few  luxuries,  includ- 
ing a  fine  package  of  books,  that  made  glad  the 
factor's  heart ;  and  as  the  storehouses  were  already 
full  to  overflowing  with  fish,  pemmican  and  dried 
meat,  there  was  insured  a  winter  of  plenty  and 
comfort. 

Jusl  such  a  winter  did  it  turn  out  to  be.  Not 
an  unpleasant  event  occurred  to  mar  its  peaceful, 
pleasant  monotony.  Mr.  McKenzic  was  too  mag- 
nanimous to  take  any  notice  of  McGillvray's  refusal 
to  go  to  his  relief.  In  his  joy  at  the  happy  issue 
of  events  he  could  not  only  forgive,  but  forget,  and 
the  faint-hearted  clerk  found  no  difference  in  his 
manner  toward  him. 

When  the  r>now  lay  thick  upon  the  ground, 
Archie  and  Sawtloulai  resumed  their  trapping 
operations  with  great  vigor.  They  needed  no 
protector  now,  but  went  out  on  their  own  respon- 
sibility, and  after  catching  many  a  mink  and  mar- 
ten,  were  lifted  into  the  seventh  heaven  of  proud 
delight  by  securing  a  splendid  black  bear  which, 


AKrniK  or   AniAHAst  a. 


j;('niML;  l>otl\  its  fon*  j>.»\vs  inl.t  .»  In  :;•'  li.ip  scl  lur 
.»  wnlvtM  i)\(\  piovt'tl  .\\\  c,\^\  vitlim  In  IIumi  Imllrls 


sttuk   o(    tin 


\\ 


hiih    tlu'   l.utor  took   over  .it   tl 


H- 


bi'st  nil's  \\c  <onM  j;i.»nt. 

Mis     Mv  Kon/ii'  .niti    KoscM.nic   \\'c\r    no   less 
Imisv  iliuin;;  tlu*  loni;  wintiM    nuuUlis,  hut  in  .1  dil 
liMrnt     w.iv.       .\int>nL;    tlu*    p.u  k.i|;<'s    lnonj;!)!     hv 
Mi.     \\\'nl/i'l,    vv.is    .1    l».iU'    ront.iinin;;    (lotis    n| 
liiu'n   .111(1   wool,  whii  li    tlu'ii    «U'll    liiuvois  wnc  In 


t.isliion  into  i;.nini'nts  th.it  would  ni.ikr  tlu*  wih* 
.uhl  il.\u,i;hti'r  ol  .1  l.»iW>i  ol  h'oit  ( 'hipcwv.in  not 
.isli.mu'ii  to  l.ur  the  ;;.itluM  in^»;  al  h'oit  W'illi.nn. 
\'irL;inio  h.\«l  littK*  km>wli'ilL;i'  ol  tlu'  l.ishiojis,  hut 
siu'  h.ul  no  s1il;Iu  skill  with  thr  iu*i'»lh'  .iinl  scissois, 
.nul  knrw  lunv  \o  i\\\c  lull  pl.iv  to  \\v\  inhciitcd 
t.nu'N  loi  ihi'  |Mvtnu\Sijiu"  .md  stiikint;  in  costninc 
hoih  Ml  MiKin/ii'  .iiid  Auhii'  took  .i  i\vv\)  intci- 
est  in  thrsr  ptcp.\i.it ions,  and  hoaitily  .ippl.mdiMJ 
hrr  i'lrvcM  handiw»>rk. 

And  so  tlu'  wintiM  wont  hv.  and  s|>iini;  canu'  to 
warn)  and  w'.ikcn  Natmv  into  lilr  aftiM  Ium  lon^ 
sloop  hono.it h  hor  snowv  oountorp.mo.  Tho  t.utor 
had  promisod  th.it  .is  Si)o\\  .is  tLividini;  oonld  ho 
dtnio  in  0iMiifi>!t  ho  would  sot  out.  With  .ilinost 
fovorish  inipationoo,  Aroiiio  watohod  tho  tiino  ap- 
proach, n.ippily  ioi  'him  tho  soason  w.is  ati  nn- 
Ufnillv  o.irlv  ono.  .iiul  hv  tho  ond  of  M.iv  tin.' 
}.p!'n«;  ilood.s  hail  snfTu'iontlv  snhsiilod  to  rondor 


oaTiotin^   practic.'hlo 


coord in';h,  proj>.uati()n.H 


Al<(  IIM'     KI'AI  l/.l'S    IMS     lUSlKI.S. 


-'5^ 


n 


hiMiU'tl 


•ostmmv 


(,\\\\C  to 

KM  i«>n^; 

br  t.ut«>r 

tinu"  ;»p- 

M.iV   tbr 

ID  icikUt 

p.iiations 


lor  ihc  Innj;  jom  ucy  smitli  wric  Ininictl  j(»tw;inl, 
atxl  nil  flic  lirsl  <l.iy  n(  juiu'  cvci  yt  liiii^;  was  icady 
Inr  the  sfait.  The  paily  cnnsistcMl  (»f  twculy  mrn, 
iiu  Imliiii;  all  h  amis,  ami  the  I  w<>  ladies.  Ilwy  look 
live  o|  the  Ik*sI  (anocs,  and  ;«l>iiM(laiil  supplies  }or 
(•vervlluii;^;  necessary.  Akaih  hkn  aii'l  Sivvtioiilai 
were  to  accompany  I liein  as  l.ii  as  Ked  River.  Mr. 
\Vcnt/(*l  would  remain  in  i  h  ii;.',e  of  tlu*  loit,  with 
Stewart  and  Mctiillvray  as  Ids  lieiiti-nants. 

riicre  is  not  time  to  detail  tlic  in(  idenls  of  the 
many  weeks'  jouiiicy  hy  shi;;^ish  liver,  roaiir)^ 
rapids  and  placid  lake  to  far  l'^>ll  William  on  the 
eastern  shore  ol  stnimy  Lake  Snpcrioi.  To  both 
the  factor  and  his  fannly  it  was  a  timc!  of  larc  en- 
jovment.  Never  heloic  had  they  ^<me  holidayinj^ 
with  him  in  this  fashion,  and  they  appre(  iaterl  the 
novidlvof  th(*  situation  with  the  keenest  relish; 
while  he,  on  his  part,  lau;;hetl  at  himself  as  he 
reco;;id/ed  how  miu  h  his  f(Mliii  ;s  weic  lik<!  those 
of  a  schoolboy  pist  heidnnin;;  the  Ion;;  vac.it  ion. 
lie  felt  hardly  less  y«>ulhlid  and  buoyant  of  spit  it 
th.in  Aichie,  and  while  tlu*  little  fleet  of  t:an  'S 
paddled  and  p(Mta;;ed  its  way  southwar<l,  he  '  »k 
j;ood  care  that  his  comj)  iidnns  shoidd  miss  iie 
of  the  beauties  and  maivcls  of  the  route. 

Their  couise  lay  throu;;h  the  Athabasf  and 
C'leai  water  Kivers  t(»  Methye  Lake,  thence  .»t  ross 
Lake    ik's     Hd-ufs    and     Lake    Lacrosse, 


im 


I    b 


sundry  suiall  slrcanis  to  Ihi'   noble   Saskatchewan 
which    led  them   into   bJL;   Lake   Winuipe;;,  alon«^ 


254 


ARCHIE    or    ATllAUASCA. 


whose  western  shore  they  coasted  to  its  southern 
end,  and  thus  reached  the  Red  River.  Here 
Akaitchko  and  Sawtloulai  parted  company  with 
them,  manifestly  much  against  their  inclination, 
and  Archie  did  his  best  to  comfort  his  fond,  faith- 
ful companion  by  promising  to  send  him  hand- 
some gifts  from  Fort  William  ;  while  the  factor 
assured  Akaitchko  that  he  would  make  special 
mention  of  him  to  the  chief  partner,  and  insure 
him  due  reward  for  his  great  services. 

After  a  few  days'  halt  at  Red  River,  where  the 
Northwest  Company  had  an  important  post  called 
Fort  Gibraltar,  the  party  proceeded  on  through 
the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  Rainy  Lake,  and  their 
connecting  streams,  until  they  came  out  upon  the 
winding  Kaministiquia  whoso  current  helped  them 
on  to  Fort  William. 

It  was  with  minj^'ed  feelings  of  diffidence  and 
pride  that  Mr.  McKonzic  presented  himself  at  this 
famous  musteriMg-place.  As  the  factor  of  one  of 
the  most  inrM>»tant  and  profitable  posts  bclongin*; 
to  the  compa.iy,  he  was  entitled  to  special  recogni- 
tion. Nevertheless,  his  long  seclusion  from  any 
otlier  society  than  that  of  Fort  Chipewyan  had 
naturally  enough  tended  to  develop  a  certain  sense 
of  shy  constraint,  which  was  rather  increased  than 
diminished  by  the  presence  of  his  wife  and  children, 
for  whom  he  was  exceedingly  anxious  that  they 
should  not  only  receive,  but  create  the  most  favor- 
able impressions  possible. 


iouthern 
Here 
my  with 
:lination, 
nd,  faith- 
m  hand- 
le factor 
2    special 
id  insure 

/here  the 
ost  called 
I  through 


o" 


and  their 

upon  the 

Ipcd  them 

;lcncc  and 
self  at  this 

of  one  of 
belongin*; 
al  rccogni- 

from  any 
jvvyan  had 
rtain  sense 
eased  than 
ul  children, 
I  that  they 
roost  favor- 


x*? 


/. 
7 


o 

ai 

Pi 
ar 

cli 

pe 
wa 
coi 


th 
Th 


c 


in  < 
ricl 
and 
and 


^«C„,E    REAI..ZES   H.S   DESIRES. 


255 

In   these  feelings  Mrs    MrK-„    • 
tent   shared ;   but   Archt  ^'"^^"^  ^°  some  ex- 

-"'I  they  looked  about  themSh'^f   '"'^  "'"''• 
of  wonder  and  deli<rht  wide-open  eyes 

Fort  Wilham  was%hen  at  the  zenith    f  •. 

ness.  and  formed  quite  a  consider  "h         -      ^'■''*" 

center  of  interest  was  anTm!^  "^  ^'"'S<=-     Us 

"■■e   containing    the    grand  T"''  ""°''="  "'"■«- 

council  chamber,  and  Sr    ''""''"^''"S-hail,   the 

a  certain  sort  of  rude  ll  ,  ""'•  ""^'^  "P  «''" 
In".-an  weapons  Zl  ifo'^^  S'^'^'  ^'"^ 
Here  were  assembled  forfhl  ^^  ^'"'  *''=*^e- 

"•"".  the  chief  parfne'rl  frl:  Z"""'"'  °'  ""^""- 

in'Posingpresence/andluxurio'''  -"''="  °^ 
ant  personages  in  the  world  ltd  t'h  ""l'  '"'''°''- 

-;;n.^^n,mer  i^eat  :^^^^^^^^^^^ 

was  worth  seein<r  and  for '•        J "^  """"'"^  'hat 

concerning  the  M  T  l     ^J'^he  k  TV"""""^ 
tl'c    other    grandee,    f  Frob.shers,  and 

These  gentleCha  1  co^  Z"^^:'"'    ^^-l. 
•n  Rreat  state,  vovanin..  T  u  """"^'  '"'acting 

■■'•ch  furs,  pro  eZ,  "b    :  sco  ^'S  77"  '""'  ^''^ 
and  freighted  with  Z^J  T      '^''^''"''^  P^'''"crs. 

and  civilised  .Ic^ict     't^^^^^^^^  "'  -^-"X  -"- 

caties  for  the  sumptuous  banquets 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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z^.^^*!-^ 


A 


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m 


1.0 


i.l 


1.25 


Ui|2£    125 


III 


2.2 


12.0 


^1^ 


X^V^ 


7 


Photograpliic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


w 


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\ 


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;\ 


33  WIST  MAIN  STMIT 

WIMTIR.N.Y.  MStO 

(71«)  •73-4303 


'4fS 


V'.^ 


256 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


that  were  no  less  "ssential  a  feature  of  the  gather- 
ing than  the  councils. 

Archie  was  deeply  impressed  by  the  stately 
dignity  of  the  Montreal  partners,  yet  there  was 
not  one  of  them  —  and  in  this  opinion,  Rose-Marie 
heartily  concurred  —  who  seemed  to  him  one  whit 
more  noble  of  presence,  or  worthy  of  respect,  than 
his  own  father ;  and  his  young  heart  swelled  with 
filial  pride  as  he  noticed  the  consideration  the 
factor  received  at  their  hands. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  Mr.  McKenzie  occupied 
a  position  of  particular  interest  and  importance. 
Miles  McDougal's  designs  had  not  been  hidden 
from  the  Nor' westers,  and  every  effort  had  been 
made  to  nip  them  in  the  bud  ;  but  the  cunning 
rascal  had  overreached  his  opponents,  and  they 
were  fain  to  await  with  lively  anxiety  the  result  of 
his  expedition.  So  far,  but  little  more  than  that 
he  had  miserably  failed,  and  lost  his  own  life  into 
the  bargain,  was  generally  known,  and  at  the  very 
first  of  the  council  meetings  his  would-be  victim 
was  called  upon  to  relate  the  whole  story. 

When  the  factor  told,  in  simple  but  graphic  lan- 
guage, how  treacherously  he  had  been  trapped, 
and  how  bravely  he  had  been  rescued,  the  staid 
and  solemn  assemblage  broke  out  in  a  hearty 
round  of  applause. 

"Well, well,  McKenzie,"  burst  out  Mr.  McTavish 
from  the  head  of  the  table,  "  that  boy  of  yours 
must  be  a  lad  or  rare  spirit.     You  must  bring  him 


ARCHIE    REALIZES    HIS    DESIRES. 


257 


;  gathcr- 

;  Stately 
:iere  was 
)se-Marie 
one  whit 
)ect,  than 
sUed  with 
ation  the 

;  occupied 

nportance. 

;en  hidden 

:  had  been 

e  cunning 

and  they 

e  result  of 

than  that 

n  life  into 

t  the  very 

-be  victim 

[raphic  Ian- 
In    trapped, 

],  the  staid 
a   hearty 

McTavish 

of  yoin-s 

bring  him 


in  and  let  us  see  him.  He  certainly  deserves  the 
thanks  of  the  company,  and  he  shall  have  them, 
and  more,  too." 

"  Hear,  hear  !  "  shouted  the  others.  '*  Bring  in 
your  boy,  McKenzie,  and  introduce  him  to  us." 

Only  too  glad  to  comply,  the  factor  hurried  out 
to  seek  his  son  ;  but,  as  it  happened,  Archie  had 
that  morning  gone  some  distance  away  in  a  canoe, 
and  being  unable  to  find  him  his  father  promised 
to  have  him  at  the  next  meeting.  So  when  he 
saw  him,  he  informed  him  of  the  honor  awaiting 
him,  and  told  him  he  must  be  on  hand  the  follow- 
ing morning  to  be  presented  to  the  council. 

It  was  a  bit  of  the  good  fortune  which  had  at- 
tended Archie  throu<ih  life  that  he  should  make 
the  acqaintance  of  the  great  Mr.  McTavish  in 
quite  an  unexpected  way  without  a  formal  intro- 
duction. The  annual  rendezvous  had  one  feature 
that  was  not  at  all  creditable,  even  if  characteristic 
of  those  hard-drinking  days.  Wine  and  brandy 
flowed  without  stint,  and  as  a  consequence  it  was 
frequently  a  matter  of  some  difficulty  to  find  a 
sober  man.  The  vov(^gi'itrs  and  bois  bnih^cs  made 
up  for  the  long  months  of  enforced  abstinence  by 
gross  indulgence,  and  quarrels  and  combats  were 
of  constant  occurrence. 

Early  in  the  morning  in  question,  Archie,  in 
company  with  Rose-Marie,  had  gone  down  to  the 
riverside,  some  distance  from  the  buildings,  when 
his  attention  was  attracted  by  the  sound  of  two 


258 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


voices,  one  cursing  and  the  other  entreating,  in 
half-breed  patois.  Hastening  to  the  spot,  he 
found  a  (hunken  voyagcur  belaboring  a  boy  about 
Sawtloulai's  size,  who  was  evidently  in  mortal 
terror.  Archie's  anger  was  at  once  aroused,  and 
he  shouted  out  in  commanding  tones  :  "  Stop  that, 
you  cowardly  brute  !     Leave  the  boy  alone." 

The  voyagcur  paid  no  heed,  but  continued  his 
blows.     Archie's  indignation  got  to  white  heat 

"Stop  that,  I  say !  I'll  make  you  stop,"  he  cried  ; 
and  rushing  upon  the  man,  he  caught  him  by  the 
collar  and  swung  him  away  from  his  victim,  who 
seized  the  opportunity  to  spring  to  his  feet  and 
make  good  his  escape. 

Furious  at  this  interference,  the  voyagcur  now 
turned  upon  Archie,  and  being  a  powerful,  active 
man  and  frenzied  with  drink,  it  certainly  would 
have  gone  hard  with  the  boy  had  not  a  gentleman 
suddenly  appeared  upon  the  scene,  and  with  one 
well-aimed  blow  of  a  stout  walking-stick  felled  the 
half-breed  to  the  ground,  where  he  lay  stunned  and 
motionless. 

"That  was  a  crack  in  good  time,  wasn't  it,  my 
lad  .^ "  said  the  newcomer,  puffing  a  little  from  his 
sudden  exertion.  "  What  was  the  rascal  about  } 
You  were  no  match  for  him  } " 

Archie  at  once  recognized  in  his  friend  in  need 
none  other  than  Mr.  McTavish,  who  had  been  en- 
joying an  early  constitutional  when  he  so  oppor- 
tunely chanced  upon  the  unequal  encounter. 


ARCHIE    REALIZES    HIS    DESIRES. 


259 


ig,  m 
)t,    he 
about 
mortal 
;d,  and 
p  that, 

ued  bis 
icat 

2  cried ; 

by  tbc 

im,  wbo 

:cet  and 

cur  now 
1,  active 
y  would 
ntlcman 
ith  one 
Ucd  tbe 
lined  and 

•t  it,  my 
[from  bis 
|l  about  ? 

in  need 
been  en- 
;o  oppor- 
Icr. 


"Why,  he  was  pounding  a  poor  little  fellow,  and 
I  made  him  stop,"  he  answered  respectfully. 

"That's  ri<^ht,  my  son,  that's  rii^ht,"  said  Mr. 
McTavish,  smiling  approvingly,  "  Never  refuse 
help  to  those  who  are  in  distress.  You  may  need 
it  badly  enough  yourself,  some  day." 

"I  did  need  it  pretty  badly  just  now,  sir,"  said 
Archie,  with  a  grateful  look.  "  If  you  hadn't  come 
along  when  you  did,  I  would  have  got  a  good  lick- 
ing, for  certain." 

"  I'm  afraid  you  would,  my  son,"  responded  Mr. 
McTavish,  evidently  well  pleased  at  his  own  part 
in  the  matter,  and  appreciating  Archie's  indirect 
praise.  "  But  may  I  ask  your  name  .^  I  do  not 
remember  iiaving  seen  you  before." 

"  My  name  is  Archie  McKenzie,  sir,"  replied 
Archie,  feeling  entirely  at  his  ease  with  this  genial 
old  gentleman. 

*'  Indeed,"  exclaimed  Mr.  McTavish ;  '*  is  your 
father  factor  at  Chipewyan  }  " 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Archie.  "His  name  is 
Donald  McKenzie,  and  this  is  my  sister  Rose," 
slipping  his  hand  through  the  arm  of  Rose-Marie 
who  had  come  shyly  up,  still  trembling  from  the 
fright  the  fracas  had  given  her. 

"  Bless  my  soul  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  McTavish. 
"  How  odd  !  Why,  we  were  all  talking  about  you 
yesterday  at  the  council,  and  your  father  promised 
to  bring  you  in  and  show  you  to  us  this  morning. 
No  wonder  he's  so  proud  of  you.     Any  man  ought 


26o 


AKciTiE  OF  Athabasca. 


to  be  proud  )f  such  a  boy;"  and  as  he  spoke  those 
last  words  his  voice  fell  away  into  a  sigh,  for 
he  had  no  son  to  inherit  his  honored  name  and 
abundant  wealth,  and  it  was  the  one  cloud  upon 
his  career  of  otherwise  unshadowed  prosperity. 
Then,  bri<;htening  up,  he  added :  "  But  come 
along.  It's  nearly  time  for  the  council.  I'm  going 
to  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  you  to  my 
partners  myself." 

Thus  it  came  about  that  Archie  appeared  before 
the  awe-imposing  council  under  the  wing  of  its 
most  important  member,  and  was  given  a  recep- 
tion that  bewildered  him  so  that  he  completely 
lost  the  use  of  his  tongue,  and  could  only  blush 
his  acknowledgments. 

Thenceforth  Mr.  McTavish  took  a  deep  interest 
in  Archie.  He  had  him  much  in  his  company, 
and  drew  out  from  him  all  the  dearly-cherished 
thoughts  and  plans  that  he  had  conceived  con- 
cerning his  own  future.  Brought  up  as  Archie 
had  been,  far  away  from  the  conventionalizing  in- 
fluences of  city  life,  and  yet  not  lacking  in  any  of 
the  attributes  of  sturdy  self-reliant  manhood,  the 
keen,  kindly  old  magnate  found  him  peculiarly  at- 
tractive, and  resolved  to  bring  about  the  fulfillment 
of  the  boy's  fondest  desires. 

In  was  in  part  due  to  his  son,  therefore,  as  well 
as  his  own  deserts,  that  Mr.  McKenzie  found 
the  way  open  for  him  to  obtain  a  year's  leave  of 
absence,   and   to  proceed    to   Montreal ;    and  Mr. 


ARCHIE    REALIZES    HIS    DESIRES. 


261 


;  those 
rb,  for 
ne  and 
]  upon 
sperity. 
:    come 

Ti  going 

1  to  my 

d  before 

2  of  its 
a  recep- 
.mpletcly 
[i\y  blush 

interest 
:ompany, 
:herishecl 
ivcd  con- 
is  Archie 
ilizing  in- 
in  any  of 
Ihood,  the 
luliarly  at- 
[ulfillment 

^e,  as  well 

:ie    found 

leave  of 

and  Mr. 


McTavish  had  Archie  in  his  mind  no  less  than  the 
worthy  factor,  when  he  secured  for  the  latter  the 
goal  of  his  highest  ambition  by  having  him  ad- 
mitted into  the  company  as  a  partner. 

To  Montreal  the  McKenzies  went,  in  company 
with  the  returning  partners ;  and  Archie  wondered, 
as  wide-eyed  and  opened-mouthcd  he  gazed  about 
him,  if  there  could  be  a  grander  city  in  the  world. 
lUit  there  were  greater  marvels  than  Montreal  in 
store  for  him.  Early  in  the  autumn,  Mr.  McTavish 
invited  him  to  accompany  him  on  a  visit  to  New 
York,  and  when  he  beheld  this  great  city,  and 
pushed  his  way  through  her  crowded  streets,  he 
was  quite  convinced  that  the  world  had  nothing 
more  astonishing  to  show  him.  He  had  a  wonder- 
ful fortnight  there,  and  returned  loaded  with  pres- 
ents for  his  parents  and  Rose,  and  overflowing 
with  what  his  eyes  had  seen,  and  his  ears  had  heard 
in  the  American  metropolis. 

Not  long  after  this,  Mr.  McTavish  made  a  pro- 
posal which  gave  the  factor  grave  concern,  for  it 
was  nothing  less  than  that  he  should  be  permitted 
to  adopt  Archie  as  his  son.  The  offer  was  so  bril- 
liant that  Mr.  McKenzie  would  not  assume  the 
whole  responsibility  of  refusing  it,  and  accord- 
ingly laid  it  before  Archie.  But  Archie  did  not 
hesitate  for  a  moment. 

*'  No,  father,"  he  answered  decidedly  ;  "  I  will 
never  be  any  other  man's  son  than  yours.  I  love 
Mr.  McTavish,  and  want  you  to  thank  him  very 


262 


ARCHIE    OF    ATHABASCA. 


much  for  the  honor  he  has  paid  me.  But  Archie 
McKenzie  I  am,  and  Archie  McKenzie  I'll  stay,  as 
long-  as  I  live." 

"  God  bless  you,  my  darling  boy,"  exclaimed  the 
factor,  tears  brimming  his  eyes.  You've  spoken 
just  as  I  prayed  you  would.  No,  n^  ;  not  even  Mr. 
McTavish  with  all  his  wealth  and  power  can  have 
you.     We'll  stand  by  each  other  until  the  end." 

Although  deeply  disappointed  with  his  decision, 
Mr.  McTavish  was  too  sound  of  heart  to  take  um- 
brage at  it.  On  the  contrary,  it  did  but  heighten 
his  opinion  of  both  Archie  and  his  father,  and  while 
expressing  his  regret,  he  manifested  clearly  that  by 
declining  to  become  his  adopted  son  and  heir  the 
former  had  by  no  means  forfeited  his  regard,  nor 
canceled  his  good  intensions  concerning  him. 

the  years  that  followed,  as  Archie  rose  step 
b)  step  in  the  company's  service,  he  had  many 
substantial  proofs  of  the  great  man's  interest ;  and 
through  his  influence,  no  less  than  through  his 
own  merits,  he  was  enabled  to  achieve  a  career 
of  no  ordinary  success,  ultimately  attaining  the 
highest  appointment  in  the  service  ;  to  wit,  the 
Chief  Factorship,  which  important  position  he 
filled  with  dignity  and  honor  until  his  retirement 
in  ripe  old  age  to  a  life  of  well-earned  ease  and 
abundant  comfort. 


Archie 
stay,  as 

ned  the 
spoken 
/en  Mr. 
m  have 
nd." 
ecision, 
ike  um- 
eighten 
id  while 
that  by 
heir  the 
ard,  nor 
m. 

Dse  step 
d  many 
sst;  and 
>ugh  his 
a  career 
ling  the 
wit,  the 
ition  he 
tirement 
2ase  and 


